Neuraminic acid content of sputum in chronic bronchitis

Abstract

The neuraminic acid content of sputum from 48 men with early chronic bronchitis has been estimated in samples collected over a period of three years. The results are compared with those from 29 advanced bronchitic patients and are related to the clinical features of both groups and to the physical and biological properties of the sputum. A seasonal variation in neuraminic acid content has been noted for the first time with higher levels during the winter months. Clinical assessment of sputum pourability correlated well with measured viscosity. The viscosity of mucoid sputum was related to its neuraminic acid content but also to the yield of dry macromolecular material. In the early bronchitic group whose sputum was assessed for purulence at monthly intervals pus was more often present in those men whose mucoid sputum contained higher levels of neuraminic acid. These findings are discussed in relation to the cause of exacerbations of chronic bronchitis.

Bronchial secretion from normal human airways after inhalation of prostaglandin F2alpha, acetylcholine, histamine, and citric acid.

“…The apparent viscosity of saliva and its chemical constituents fell within the range previously reported (Keal, 1971;Keal and Reid, 1972;Spiro et al, 1975), except in one subject in whom dry weight, NANA, and fucose concentrations were higher but viscosity was within the normal range. The levels of albumin, IgA, and IgG were also within the range found in normal saliva (Salvaggio et al, 1973).…”

“…The material expectorated was considered to be sputum if the level of viscosity and concentration of the marker substances of bronchial glycoprotein were above that of the saliva of the same individual and fell within the range found in mucoid sputum from patients with chronic bronchitis (Keal, 1971;Keal and Reid, 1972;Lopez-Vidriero et al, 1973).…”

Bronchorrhoea in a case of alveolar cell carcinoma.

“…(mmol/l) although a positive correlation between this Thus the most characteristic feature of sputum level and viscosity has been reported by many from any bronchorrhoea patient, when compared workers in various epithelial secretions (Gibbons, with sputum from other diseases such as chronic 1959; Gibbons and Glover, 1959;Odin, 1955; bronchitis, asthma, bronchiectasis, and cystic Munies, Grubb, and Caliari, 1968;Keal and Reid, fibrosis, is still the sputum volume since some of the 1972; Lopez-Vidriero et al, 1973 Two samples were centrifuged at 5000 g and the chemical estimations were carried out separately on the sol and gel phase. Compared with the sol phase the gel contained about twice as much solid macromolecular material and had a fucose concentration about three times as great (table lII).…”

Efficacy of Rhesus Theta-Defensin-1 in Experimental Models of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Lung Infection and Inflammation

“…We hypothesized that RTD-1, with its high cationic charge cluster, would perform similarly. Therefore, we performed a modified sputum pourability assay, a measure of velocity and mucoadhesiveness (49,50). Our data demonstrated an increase in the speed of unprocessed sputum traveling down a glass pipette.…”