Mucociliary Function in Sinonasal Health and Disease
Summary
The mucociliary apparatus of the sinonasal tract constitutes a first‐line defence mechanism against inhaled particles, pathogens and environmental irritants. It comprises a gel‐layer of mucus laden with mucin glycoproteins, a periciliary sol layer and a dense carpet of motile cilia that coordinate to propel mucus towards the nasopharynx. In health, a balance between mucus viscosity, ciliary beat frequency and planar cell polarity ensures efficient clearance, maintenance of epithelial integrity and control of local microbiota. Disruption of any element—whether by genetic defects in ciliogenesis, altered mucin secretion, inflammatory remodelling or environmental insults such as tobacco smoke and particulate pollution—results in impaired mucociliary clearance. This dysfunction contributes to chronic rhinosinusitis, nasal polyposis, allergic rhinitis and heightened susceptibility to acute and recurrent upper respiratory infections. Advances in imaging and live‐cell videomicroscopy have revealed that coordination of ciliary beat and the fidelity of planar cell polarity proteins underpin transport velocity and directional flow. Biomarkers such as saccharin transit time offer a noninvasive index of mucociliary performance, with potential utility in population studies and in monitoring therapeutic response. Targeting molecular pathways that regulate ciliary motility, mucus rheology and epithelial repair holds promise for novel interventions in sinonasal disease.
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Mucociliary Function in Sinonasal Health and Disease publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in mucociliary function in sinonasal health and disease across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Mucociliary clearance: The coordinated process by which mucus and entrapped particles are transported by ciliary motion towards the pharynx.
Ciliary beat frequency (CBF): The rate at which motile cilia complete a single beat cycle, typically measured in hertz (Hz).
Planar cell polarity: The uniform orientation of epithelial cilia across the tissue plane, essential for directional mucus transport.
Saccharin transit time: A noninvasive test of mucociliary function that measures the interval from nasal saccharin placement to its perception in the oropharynx.
Periciliary layer: A low‐viscosity fluid layer that surrounds cilia, allowing unimpeded beating beneath the overlying mucus layer.
Mucin glycoproteins: Large, heavily glycosylated proteins secreted by goblet cells that confer viscoelastic properties to mucus.
References
- Impaired Coordination of the Ciliary Movement in Patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps: The Role of Decreased Planar Cell Polarity Protein Expression. Immuno (2024).
- WDPCP Modulates Cilia Beating Through the MAPK/ERK Pathway in Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (2021).
- Short and Long Term Repeatability of Saccharin Transit Time in Current, Former, and Never Smokers. Frontiers in Physiology (2020).
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