title: Interaction between oral alpha-streptococci and group A streptococci in patients with tonsillitis.
abstract: The incidence of oral alpha-streptococci with inhibitory activity against group A streptococci, as a defense mechanism against bacterial infection in the oral cavity, was investigated in 141 patients with streptococcal tonsillitis. The study population included both children (n = 79) and adults (n = 62). Infection by group A streptococci appeared to be more common in children than in adults, as the detection rates of inhibitory alpha-streptococci in healthy children (29.7%), as well as pediatric patients with tonsillitis (14.9%), were lower than those in adults (63.0%; p < .01). It is possible to consider oral alpha-streptococci with inhibitory activity to be among the indications for tonsillectomy in patients with streptococcal tonsillitis, since the detection rate of inhibitory alpha-streptococci in surgical cases (10.9%) was significantly lower than that in nonsurgical cases (31.1%; p < .01). The high detection rate of these strains during the postoperative state supported the observation that the incidence of group A streptococcal infection was decreased postoperatively. Accordingly, it is useful to investigate bacterial interference between oral alpha-streptococci and group A streptococci in patients scheduled for tonsillectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Yamanashi Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fujimori
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kikushima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hisamatsu
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nozawa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murakami
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes; D013298:Streptococcus sanguis / Q000502:physiology*; D014068:Tonsillectomy; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery