Polycystins 1 and 2 are the gene products of the mutated genes PKD1 and PKD2 in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). They are localised to primary cilia in the kidney and thought to detect fluid flow. Recently patients with ADPKD have been shown to have an increased incidence of radiological findings of bronchiectasis, an abnormal dilatation of the bronchioles involving impaired mucociliary clearance (Driscoll et al 2009). We hypothesise that proteins from the polycystin pathway are present in respiratory epithelium and that this pathway is defective in bronchiectasis.

We demonstrate using immunoflourescent antibodies that the extracellular portion of polycystin 1 and the n terminal tail of polycystin 2 consistently localise to cilia of nasal epithelial cells from healthy individuals and that blocking polycystin 1 with antibodies can alter ciliary beat. Contrary to our hypothesis there were no differences in the distribution of these proteins in a group of patients with bronchiectasis (n = 13)

In conclusion we have shown that polycystins 1 and 2 are present in the motile cilia of the airways and may be involved in ciliary beat frequency regulation. We did not find any evidence of disruption of the polycystin proteins in a small population of patients with bronchiectasis.