Ciliated cell cultures for diagnosis of primary ciliary dyskinesia

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a hereditary autosomal recessive disease that results in a defect in the ultrastructure of epithelial cilia. To date, there is no single diagnostic test for PCD, so the diagnosis is based on the results of multiple tests, such as DNA diagnostics, assessment of nasal nitric oxide levels, ciliary beat frequency (CBF) in nasal biopsy, ciliary ultrastructure, etc. Diagnosis of PCD can be difficult due to secondary damage to the airway epithelium, leading to undiagnosed or false positive cases. The aim of this work was to review studies on the cultivation of human nasal epithelial cells and subsequent differentiation into ciliated cells for the diagnosis of PCD. Conclusion. In vitro ciliogenesis helps to make a correct diagnosis of PCD while avoiding false positives. There are three different methods of ciliogenesis in vitro: the suspension culture method, the ALI culture method, and the organoid culture method. Each method of ciliogenesis has its own advantages and disadvantages. The ALI culture method is the most widely used. It produces a sufficient number of ciliated cells for diagnosis, which can be maintained in culture for a long time. The obtained cultures of nasal epithelial ciliated cells allow to analyze the ultrastructure of cilia, to evaluate CBF and localization of ciliary proteins, which helps in the diagnosis of PCD.