title: T-cell subsets in adenoids and peripheral blood related to age, otitis media with effusion and allergy.
abstract: Adenoids and peripheral blood samples from 29 children (20-120 months of age) undergoing adenoidectomy for long-standing otitis media with effusion (OME) (n=16) or obstructive adenoid hyperplasia (n=13) were investigated by flow cytometry for their T-lymphocyte profile. Eleven of the enrolled children were allergic to inhalant and/or food allergens. For the whole group, the percentage of helper T cells belonging to the memory phenotype (CD4+/CD45RO+ cells) was significantly higher in adenoids than in blood (p<0.0001), while the same cell category increased with age in peripheral blood (p<0.01). A highly significant negative regression (p<0.001) was found between age and the percentage ratio of CD4+ cells that were CD45RO+ in adenoids and blood. Allergic children had a higher CD4+/CD8+ ratio for cells expressing CD45RO+ (p<0.05) in adenoids. The results of this study indicate that adenoids participate in the development of an immunological memory. Our findings support a relationship between allergy and memory cells in adenoids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lagging
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Papatziamos
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Halldén
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hemlin
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Härfast
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Hage-Hamsten
mesh_terms: D000234:Adenoids / Q000276:immunology*; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D007223:Infant; D017730:Ki-1 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D017730:Ki-1 Antigen; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens