Final answer:
Patients with two to three times elevated chloride levels in sweat often have cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder characterized by thick and sticky mucus production caused by a defective CFTR gene.
Step-by-step explanation:
Patients exhibiting two to three times elevated chloride levels in their sweat are often diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. This is a hereditary disease marked by the production of abnormally thick and sticky mucus due to a mutation in the CFTR gene, which leads to faulty protein functioning in sodium chloride transport into and out of cells.
A common diagnostic test for cystic fibrosis is the sweat chloride test, which measures the amount of chloride excreted in sweat. In people with cystic fibrosis, chloride levels in their sweat are typically two to five times the normal levels, which is indicative of the disease and important for its diagnosis.