Mucociliary clearance (MCC) is one of the most important nonspecific defens
e mechanisms of the respiratory tract, and its impairment is a well-documen
ted feature of chronic respiratory diseases, including asthma. In vitro and
in vivo data suggest that several inflammatory mediators influence the muc
ociliary apparatus. Epithelial damage and functional abnormalities have bee
n described in bronchial asthma, along with changes in mucus-secreting cell
s and the chemical and rheological properties of airway fluid. Although the
mechanisms of MCC impairment in asthma are not clearly understood, data in
the recent literature suggest that airway inflammation plays a major role.
In this article, we review studies on MCC alterations in light of up-to-da
te findings on pathogenetic mechanisms in asthma.