The effect of COVID-19 on nasal mucociliary clearance

Abstract

Background

The impacts of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) on nasal mucociliary clearance (MCC) have shown conflicting results.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine whether COVID-19 infections affect nasal mucociliary activity using the saccharin test to measure nasal MCC time.

Material and Methods

This prospective comparative investigation included 25 patients with COVID-19 infection and 25 healthy controls. The nasal MCC time was assessed using the saccharin test. Saccharin test was applied to COVID-19 patients between the 10th and 20th days of COVID-19 test positivity. Patients admitted to the otolaryngology outpatient clinic with non-nasal symptoms and no history of COVID-19 infection served as the control subjects.

Results

Age, gender distribution, smoking, and alcohol usage, and the existence of other systemic disorders had no statistically significant differences between the groups (p = 0.25, p = 0.77, p = 1.00, p = 0.28, p = 0.54, respectively). The COVID-19 group had a mean nasal MCC time of 12.00 ± 2.51 min, compared to 9.77 ± 2.51 min in the control group. The nasal MCC time in the COVID-19 group was statistically significantly longer (p = 0.043).

Conclusions and Significance

The COVID-19 infection negatively affects mucociliary activity and causes prolongation of MCC. As the nasal defense mechanism weakens in the early period after COVID-19 infection, susceptibility to respiratory infections may occur.

Chinese Abstract

背景：2019 年冠状病毒病 (COVID-19) 对鼻粘膜纤毛清除(MCC)的影响显示出矛盾性的结果。

目的：本研究的目的是, 通过使用糖精试验测量鼻粘膜纤毛清除时间, 确定 COVID-19 感染是否影响鼻粘膜纤毛活动, 。

材料和方法：这项前瞻性比较研究纳入 25 名 COVID19 感染患者和 25 名健康对照者。使用糖精试验评估鼻粘膜纤毛清除时间。在 COVID-19 检测阳性的第 10 天和第 20 天之间对 COVID-19 患者进行糖精测试。在耳鼻喉科门诊的无鼻部症状、无

COVID-19感染史的病人, 作为对照受试者。

结果：年龄、性别分布、吸烟和饮酒, 以及其它系统性疾病的存在在两组之间没有统计学上的显著差异（分别为：p = 0.25, p = 0.77, p = 1.00, p = 0.28, p = 0.54）。 COVID-19 组的平均鼻粘膜纤毛清除时间为 12.00 ± 2.51 分钟, 对照组为 9.77 ± 2.51 分钟。 COVID-19 组的鼻粘膜纤毛清除时间在统计学意义上明显更长（p = 0.043）。

结论和意义：COVID-19 感染对鼻粘膜纤毛活动产生负面影响并导致鼻粘膜纤毛清除时间延长。由于鼻部防御机制在COVID-19 感染早期减弱, 可能会导致呼吸道感染的发生。

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• mucociliary clearance
• respiratory infection
• saccharin test

Acknowledgements

None of the products used in this study had a proprietary or financial interest in the authors.

Ethics approval

Ethical approval for this study was obtained from Inonu University Malatya Clinical Research Ethics Committee (Reference number: 2021/42).

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest, financial or otherwise.