Ciliated columnar epithelium pathomorphosis in children with upper and lower respiratory infections: ultrastructural and nanoscopic analysis

The cytomorphological profile of nasal epithelium in children with acute and chronic respiratory disorders was characterized. The redistribution of nasal ciliary epithelial cells in favor of the mucus-secreting (goblet) cells was observed (group with acute respiratory infection – ratio 2.3:1; group with chronic lung disease – 1:2.4) with normal values of these indicators 5:1 (control group). The mucosal metaplasia, against a background of local leukocyte infiltration, was detected among 28 patients (64.29 %). Using atomic force microscopy, the pathomorphosis of the cytoplasmic membrane ciliated epithelium was described, which characterized by the changes in roughness parameters (R_a, R_q, R_sk, R_max, R_sk) and waviness (W_a) in group with chronic lung disease (R_a – 34.94 ± 7.8 nm, R_q – 41.26 ± 7.5, R_max – 225.55 ± 44.43, R_sk – 1,2, W_a – 43.23 ± 12.4 nm) compared with control group (R_a – 7.22 ± 1.94 nm, R_q – 11.43 ± 1.83, R_max – 111.83 ± 29.26, R_sk – 0.33, W_a – 83.81 ± 29.55 nm). Several deviations in microgeometry of the cilia form factor were revealed, which associated with formation of abnormally long cilia (10–12 μm), decreasing (0.095–0.15 μm) and/or a thickening (0.3–0.4 μm) of their diameter, as well as spatial disorientation like the “corkscrew twisting”. Based on the electron microscopic analysis, anomalies in external dynein arms of the cilia axoneme were revealed, which made it possible to confirmed in two patients the hereditary respiratory pathology.

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