Abstract
It is unclear whether or not the ciliary function following lung transplantation is normal. Our aim was to study the ciliary function and ultrastructure of epithelium above and below the airway anastomosis and the peripheral airway of children following lung transplantation.
We studied the ciliary beat frequency (CBF) and beat pattern using high speed digital video imaging and ultrastructure by transmission electron microscopy, of bronchial epithelium from above and below the airway anastomosis and the peripheral airway of 10 Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and 10 non-suppurative lung disease (NSLD) paediatric lung transplant recipients.
Compared to epithelium below the anastomosis, the epithelium above the anastomosis in the CF group showed reduced CBF (median [IQR] CBF: 10.5 [9.0–11.4]Hz vs 7.4 [6.4–9.2]Hz; p<0.01) and increased dyskinesia (median [IQR] dyskinesia index: 16.5 [12.9–28.2]% vs 42.2 [32.6–56.4]%; p<0.01). In both CF and NSLD groups, compared to epithelium above the anastomosis, the epithelium below the anastomosis showed marked ultrastructural abnormalities (median duration post transplant 7–12 months).
Ciliary dysfunction is a feature of native airway epithelium in paediatric CF lung transplant recipients. The epithelium below the airway anastomosis shows profound ultrastructural abnormalities in both CF and NSLD lung transplant recipients, many months after transplantation.
- Bronchial epithelium
- ciliary beat frequency
- ciliary beat pattern
- cystic fibrosis
- non-suppurative lung disease
- ERS