CILIOCYTOPHTHORIA IN NASAL SECRETION AND ITS RELATION TO INFECTION AND ATOPIC DISEASE

A variety of laboratory investigations was carried out in an attempt to distinguish symptoms of infection of the respiratory tract from those of allergy. The investigations consisted of: (1) cultures and serology for the identification of bacterial, viral, and mycoplasmal infections; and (2) exfoliative cytology of nasal secretions for the presence of ciliocytophthoria (CCP). The cultural and serologic studies did not help to make the distinction. However, there was a high correlation between the presence of CCP in nasal secretions and the clinical impression that symptoms were due to viral infection. This observation suggests that examination for CCP. a characteristic degenerative change in ciliated respiratory columnar epithelial cells, is a useful diagnostic procedure for the recognition of viral infection in allergic patients. © 1969.