European journal of nuclear medicine
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The aim of this study was to establish reference values for mucociliary clearance and mucociliary clearance reserve capacity as determined by beta 2-adrenergic agonist-induced increase in mucociliary clearance. We studied 62 healthy females (n = 33) and males (n = 29). Their ages ranged evenly between 18 and 84 years. ⋯ Mean mucociliary clearance reserve capacity was 21.3% (SD: 10.0%, P < 0.0001). The beta 2 agonist-induced increase in lung mucociliary clearance was significantly larger (P < 0.05) than the stimulation which has previously been reported in patients with asthma, bronchiectasis or cystic fibrosis. The signal-to-noise ratio of the mucociliary clearance reserve capacity in relation to measurement of baseline mucociliary clearance indicates that measurement of mucociliary clearance reserve capacity may be a more efficient means of distinguishing between "normal" and "abnormal" mucociliary clearance than single measurement of baseline mucociliary clearance.