Lack of cilia and squamous metaplasia in upper respiratory tract biopsies from children.

Biopsies were obtained from 47 children with upper respiratory tract infection aged 30 days - 12 years. All had been extensively investigated and no underlying cause for their symptoms could be found. A total of 63 specimens (46 from the inferior nasal turbinate, 8 from the trachea and 9 from the carina or bronchus) were examined. Only 4 showed no degree of squamous metaplasia and 8 showed significant numbers of acquired-type morphological abnormalities of the cilia. Twenty-six of the 63 biopsies had significantly reduced numbers of cilia and 34 had no cilia. Inherited-type changes were seen in only 1 patient. The net result of a lack of cilia and the immotile-cilia syndrome is the same--absence of mucociliary transport.