Tonsillar Hypertrophy Group Research Articles

Synthesis of prostaglandin E2 and F2 alpha in human tonsillar lymphocytes.

Although prostaglandins (PGs), especially PGE2 and PGF2 alpha, are thought to be associated with inflammation, there have been no papers dealing with the synthesis of PGE2 and PGF2 alpha in human tonsillar lymphocytes. The features of PG synthesis in lymphocytes were investigated by incubating cells with radiolabelled precursors. Synthesis of PGE2 was greater than that of PGF2 alpha in tonsillar lymphocytes. PGE2 was the predominant product in the tonsillar lymphocytes of the recent infection group. There was no significant difference between T and B lymphocytes in the ratio of PGE2 and PGF2 alpha formed. A significant increase in PGE2 formed with bradykinin was found in the tonsillar hypertrophy group. The possible role of PGs in the pathogenesis and mechanism of releasing free fatty acid PG precursors from cell membranes was discussed.

Joint Report by Dr W.H. Hamer, Medical Officer, General Purposes, County of London, and Dr T. Henry Jones, Acting Medical Officer of Health of Surrey, Upon an Epidemic of Scarlet Fever in London and Surrey Due to an Infected Milk Supply in June 1909.

Chronic tonsillitis is the persistent inflammation of the tonsillar tissue that occurs due to recurrent, acute or subclinical infection. The recurrent and chronic inflammation of palatine tonsils sometimes results in hypertrophy. Apoptosis provides an important balance between lymphocytes in tonsillar lymphoid tissue. The aim of this study is to investigate the apoptosis in tonsillar diseases.43 patients with chronic tonsilitis and tonsillar hypertrophy underwent tonsillectomy. The specimens were examined immunohistochemically for apoptosis. Tonsils were assembled into groups according to their size. Specimens were compared for their apoptotic cell count.The apoptosis difference between the tonsil size groups is not statistically significant (p > 0.05). However, when the study group was divided into two at age 6, the difference was not statistically significant for patients at and below 6 years of age; but, the difference was statistically significant for patients above 6 years of age (p < 0.05). The comparison of apoptosis in microcompartments of tonsil tissue (intrafollicular, interfollicular, subepithelial and intraepithelial) between tonsil size stages and between chronic tonsillitis and tonsillar hypertrophy groups revealed no statistical significance (p > 0.05). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between intrafollicular and interfollicular, interfollicular and intraepithelial & subepithelial and intraepithelial areas (p < 0.05).In the light of these findings, it was concluded that apoptosis played a role in the tonsillar hypertrophy and atrophy. Apoptosis functioned to balance lymphocyte proliferation in tonsil tissue. The association of apoptosis with tonsillar hypertrophy seemed to be age-dependent.