Cilia and sperm tail abnormalities in Polynesian bronchiectatics.

Sperm tails and bronchial cilia from Polynesians with bronchiectasis were examined in the electron microscope. The outer doublet tubules of the axonemal skeleton in these organelles either lacked dynein arms or had only partial arms. Various other cilial abnormalities were common. The sperm were immotile and pulmonary mucociliary clearance was reduced or absent.