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Immune Responses against Streptococcus pyogenes in Human Palatine Tonsils
Author(s) -
Hideomi Kerakawauchi,
Yuichi Kurono,
Goro Mogi
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1097/00005537-199705000-00015
Subject(s) - streptococcus pyogenes , immune system , immunology , antibody , biology , tonsillitis , antigen , palatine tonsil , pathogenesis , tonsil , microbiology and biotechnology , immunoglobulin a , immunoglobulin g , medicine , pathology , bacteria , staphylococcus aureus , genetics
We investigated cellular immunity against Streptococcus pyogenes in human tonsils by measuring antigen‐specific immunoglobulin‐secreting cells and the production of cytokines from CD4 + T cells in response to M proteins. The incidence of S pyogenes in tonsils was significantly higher in patients with recurrent tonsillitis (RT) than in patients with tonsillar hypertrophy (TH). M protein‐specific immunoglobulin A (IgA) and immunoglobulin G spot‐forming cells were increased in patients with RT compared with patients with TH. In RT the number of M protein‐specific IgA spot‐forming cells was significantly greater in the S pyogenes ‐negative subjects than in the S pyogenes ‐positive subjects. Proliferation of CD4 + T cells and production of interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) and interleukins − 2, − 4, − 5, and − 6 (IL‐2, IL‐4, IL‐5, and IL‐6) from those T cells were observed in response to M protein. The concentrations of IFN‐γ and IL‐4 were higher in RT than in TH. These findings suggest that S pyogenes is associated with the pathogenesis of RT and that immune responses against M protein may play an important role in preventing the colonization of this bacteria in tonsils.