[Mucociliary clearance. Results in smokers, nonsmokers and patients with with respiratory tract diseases].

Using the modified radiographic teflon particle method the tracheal mucociliary clearance velocity (TCV) was found to be 13.5 +/- 4.5 mm/min in 36 normal probands. In 18 "normal" smokers there was a statistically slightly significant diminution when compared with 18 age-matched non-smokers (12.1 +/- 5.7 vs 15.0 +/- 4.2 mm/min; P less than 0.1). Some smokers with values below 7 mm/min could be "potential chronic bronchitis". Acute exposure to cigarette smoke led to a decrease of TCV from 19 to 8 in healthy smokers, and from 20 to 5 mm/min in nonsmokers. Whereas TCV was equally diminished to values between 0 and 5 mm/min in chronic bronchitis (n = 42), bronchial carcinoma (n = 8) and advanced bronchial asthma (n = 8), patients with bronchiectasis (n = 8) showed marked negative tracheal clearance of up to -25 mm/min.