title: SIgA- and IgG-coated Streptococcus pyogenes on the tonsillar surfaces during acute tonsillitis.
abstract: Bacterial swabs were collected from the tonsillar surfaces of eight patients with current acute tonsillitis, culture-positive for Streptococcus pyogenes. Using gold-labelled antiserum to S. pyogenes, these micro-organisms could be localized in the samples by transmission electron microscopy. S. pyogenes pathogens were further characterized with gold-labelled antiserum to human IgG and SIgA antibodies. Roughly 90% of the pathogens were found coated with IgG antibodies, irrespective of the duration of the disease, whereas the proportion of SIgA-coated pathogens increased with disease duration. Insufficient IgA coating of pathogens might well be a contributory cause of the induction of tonsillar infection, probably due to inadequate prevention of the attachment of the S. pyogenes bacteria to the tonsillar surface epithelium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lilja
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Silvola
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Bye
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Räisänen
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Stenfors
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / Q000032:analysis*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013997:Time Factors; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory; D007074:Immunoglobulin G