Studies on redox substances in tonsil.--Relation between thiol compounds and vitamin C in tonsils- (author's transl)

Abstract

In the series of investigation on the function of tonsils, the authors have reported in details on the individual redox substances in tonsilar tissue. In this study, the relationship between each component has been discussed. Each redox substance was measured as follows:glutathione and the thiol compound by the enzyme-spectrophotometrical method and the DTNB colorimetry; vitamin C by nitrophenyl hidrazine (DNP) method.The reduced glutathione and reduced vitamin C exhibited the positive correlation in palatine and pharyngeal tonsils. When the age of the patients was considered, the positive partial correlation was observed between these two substances. Positive correlation was also found in inflammatory stage or in chronic tonsillitis. Furthermore, the positive partial correlation existed with the degree of hypertrophy of palatine tonsils and the fluctuation of blood ASO titers, and the multiple correlation was found with ages in tubal tonsils.The oxidative glutathione and oxidative vitamin C revealed the negative correlation in hypertrophied tonsils, and in the non-inflammatory stage. The multiple correlation was found with ages particularly in palatine tonsils and in tubal tonsils, and the positive partial correlation was also shown with ages in tubal tonsils.When evaluating the ratio between oxidative and reduced glutathione and that of oxidative and reduced vitamin C, the multiple correlation with ages in palatine tonsils was indicated.No relations were found between the thiol compounds except glutathione and total vitamin C.