Impact of smoking on nasal mucociliary clearance time in Kano metropolis,Nigeria

Background:Mucociliary clearance is an important defense mechanism in human upper and lower respiratory airways.Impairment of this process by certain conditions such as cigarette smoking can predispose to chronic infection and neoplasm of the nose and paranasal sinuses.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Kano metropolis,Nigeria.Eligible adults were enrolled,a saccharine test was conducted,and the nasal mucociliary clearance time was assessed.Analysis of the result was carried out using Statistical Product and Service Solutions version 23.0.Results:There were 225 participants categorized into 75 active smokers(33.3%),74 passive smokers(32.9%),and 76 nonsmokers(33.8%,living in a smoking-free zone).The age range of the participants was between 18 and 50 years,with a mean age of(31.2±5.6)years.All participants were males.There were 139(61.8%)of Hausa-Fulani ethnic group,24(10.7%)Yoruba,18(8.0%)Igbo,and 44(19.5%)other ethnic groups.Findings in this study showed that the average mucociliary clearance time among active smokers was prolonged([15.25±6.20]min)compared to passive([11.41±4.25]min)and nonsmokers([9.17±2.76]min)respectively,with a statistical significance(F=33.59,P<0.001).Binary logistic regression revealed that the number of cigarettes smoked per day was an independent predictor of prolonged mucociliary clearance time(P=0.008,odds ratio=0.44,95%confidence interval=0.24–0.80).Conclusion:Active cigarette smoking is associated with prolonged nasal mucociliary clearance time.The number of cigarette sticks smoked per day was found to be an independent predictor of prolonged mucociliary clearance time.

Epithelial Sodium and Chloride Channels and Asthma

Objective：To focus on the asthmatic pathogenesis and clinical manifestations related to epithelial sodium channel （ENaC）/chlorine ion channel.Data Sources：The data analyzed in this review were the English articles from 1980 to 2015 from journal databases,primarily PubMed and Google Scholar.The terms used in the literature search were：（1） ENaCs;cystic fibrosis （CF） transmembrane conductance regulator （CFTR）;asthma/asthmatic,（2） ENaC/sodium salt;CF;asthma/asthmatic,（3） CFTR/chlorine ion channels;asthma/asthmatic,（4） ENaC/sodium channel/scnn1a/scnn1b/scnn1g/scnn1d/amiloride-sensitive/amiloride-inhibtable sodium channels/sodium salt;asthma/asthmatic,lung/pulmonary/respiratory/tracheal/alveolar,and （5） CFTR;CF;asthma/asthmatic （ti）.Study Selection：These studies included randomized controlled trials or studies covering asthma pathogenesis and clinical manifestations related to ENaC/chlorine ion channels within the last 25 years （from 1990 to 2015）.The data involving chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and CF obtained from individual studies were also reviewed by the authors.Results：Airway surface liquid dehydration can cause airway inflammation and obstruction.ENaC and CFTR are closely related to the airway mucociliary clearance.Ion transporters may play a critical role in pathogenesis of asthmatic exacerbations.Conclusions：Ion channels have been the center of many studies aiming to understand asthmatic pathophysiological mechanisms or to identify therapeutic targets for better control of the disease.