AGE, SMOKING AND NASAL CILIARY BEAT FREQUENCY

The nasal ciliary beat frequency of 120 individuals in a British urban population was determined from nasal brushings. These individuals for med part of a previous study which looked at nasal and middle ear cili ary beat frequency in 60 patients with middle ear disease and compared it to nasal ciliary beat frequency in 60 matched controls. The presen t study intended to investigate any changes in nasal ciliary beat freq uency with age. Comparison was also made between patients who were hab itually exposed to tobacco smoke and non-exposed individuals. Nasal br ushings were taken from the inferior turbinate using a cytology brush and the beat frequency was determined using a computerized photometric technique. In the population studied ages ranged from 2 to 69 years ( mean 10.9 +/- 19.7 years). The mean beat frequency of 120 individuals was 11.5 +/- 2.5 Hz (SD), range 5.5-19.2 Hz. There was no particular t rend observed with regards to beat frequency and advancing age. Nasal ciliary brat frequency in tobacco smoke-exposed patients (whether acti ve or passive smokers) was significantly less than that in non-smoke e xposed controls (P = 0.02, Student's t-test).