Dear Nancy, Each person has two genes for each genetic trait. One gene comes from the mother and one from the father. Therefore, for many genetic diseases, one must inherit a defective gene from mom and dad. Kartagener syndrome is one such disease. It is characterized by sinusitis, a lung disorder called bronchiectasis, infertility in males, and a condition called situs inversus which is when the heart is located within the right side of the chest rather than the normal left side.
Cilia are microscopic tubes that serve important functions.
There are millions of these little tubes that line the cells of the lungs, nose, and sinuses. They beat together in a rhythmic fashion carrying dust and other contaminants away. If these little tubes don't function correctly as in Kartagener syndrome, the mucous and other dirt particles just sit there. The reason these cilia do not work properly in those with Kartagener syndrome is that a key component of the cilia is either missing or defective. Kartagener syndrome is actually a subset of a larger group of diseases called primary cilia dyskinesia.