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Observational Study
. 2023 May 12;141(6):e2022508.
doi: 10.1590/1516-3180.2022.0508.R2.13032023. eCollection 2023.

Cross-sectional evaluation of the saccharin transit time test for primary ciliary dyskinesia: did we discard this tool too soon?

Mariana Dalbo Contrera Toro  1 , Erica Ortiz  2 , Fernando Augusto Lima Marson  3 , Laíza Mohana Pinheiro  4 , Adyléia Aparecida Dalbo Contrera Toro  5 , José Dirceu Ribeiro  6 , Eulália Sakano  7
Affiliations
Observational Study

Cross-sectional evaluation of the saccharin transit time test for primary ciliary dyskinesia: did we discard this tool too soon?

Mariana Dalbo Contrera Toro et al. Sao Paulo Med J. .

Abstract

Background: Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare and heterogeneous disease that is difficult to diagnose and requires complex and expensive diagnostic tools. The saccharin transit time test is a simple and inexpensive tool that may assist in screening patients with PCD.

Objectives: This study aimed to compare changes in the electron microscopy findings with clinical variables and saccharin tests in individuals diagnosed with clinical PCD (cPCD) and a control group.

Design and setting: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted in an otorhinolaryngology outpatient clinic from August 2012 to April 2021.

Method: Patients with cPCD underwent clinical screening questionnaires, nasal endoscopy, the saccharin transit time test, and nasal biopsy for transmission electron microscopy.

Results: Thirty-four patients with cPCD were evaluated. The most prevalent clinical comorbidities in the cPCD group were recurrent pneumonia, bronchiectasis, and chronic rhinosinusitis. Electron microscopy confirmed the clinical diagnosis of PCD in 16 of the 34 (47.1%) patients.

Conclusion: The saccharin test could assist in screening patients with PCD due to its association with clinical alterations related to PCD.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: None

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Flow chart of the inclusion of participants in the study.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Clinical characteristics, clinical scores of PICADAR and ATS-CSQ (American Thoracic Society clinical screening questionnaire), and alteration in the saccharin progression time test (> 30 min) of individuals clinically classified with primary ciliary dyskinesia (cPCD), divided by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) findings.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Violin plot for the saccharin progression time (minutes) of individuals clinically classified with primary ciliary dyskinesia (cPCD).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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