Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is associated with abnormalities in the structure of a function of motile cilia, causing impairment of muco-ciliary clearence, with bacterial overinfection of the upper and lower respiratory tract (chronic oto-sino-pulmonary disease), heterotaxia (situs abnormalities), with/without congenital heart disease, abnormal sperm motility with male infertility, higher f...

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is common during mechanical ventilation (MV). Beside obvious deleterious effects on muco-ciliary clearance, MV could adversely shift the host immune response towards a pro-inflammatory pattern through toll-like receptor (TLRs) up-regulation. We tested this hypothesis in a rabbit model of Staphylococcus aureus VAP. Pneumonia was caused by airway challenge wi...

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a recessive genetic disease characterised by impaired muco-ciliary clearance. Although the disease affects multiple organs, 85% of mortality results from lung pathology relating to persistent recurrent infections, an exaggerated inflammatory response and progressive airways obstruction which ultimately leads to respiratory failure. Haemoptysis is a common symptom of CF w...

We report four HCV-HIV-coinfected patients who developed herpes zoster or muco-cutaneous herpes virus disease shortly after starting interferon-free antiviral treatment for HCV. We suggest that in our patients the prompt clearance of HCV following direct-acting antivirals leads to a paradoxical effect on the innate and adaptive immune system mediating the reactivation of herpetic infection.

A new mathematical model of the transport of mucus and periciliary liquid (PCL) in the airways by cilia is presented. Mucus is represented by a linearly viscoelastic fluid, the mat of cilia is modelled as an 'active porous medium.' The propulsive effect of the cilia is modelled by a time-dependent force acting in a shear-thinned 'traction layer' between the mucus and the PCL. The effects of sur...

Despite the in vitro ciliotoxicity of tobacco smoke and the abnormal mucociliary clearance found in smoking related chronic bronchitis, studies of mucociliary clearance in healthy smokers have produced variable results. The nasal mucociliary clearance of saccharin and the in vitro nasal ciliary beat frequency were studied in healthy smokers and non-smokers. One of 29 smokers had a nasal mucocil...

Mucociliary clearance depends on the interaction between cilia and mucus; it is delayed in the presence of purulent secretions. Nasal mucociliary clearance was examined by the saccharin method and nasal ciliary beat frequency by a photometric technique. Four groups were studied: normal controls, patients with bronchiectasis without nasal symptoms, patients with chronic mucopurulent sinusitis al...