Early stage impacts of tonsillectomy on immune functions of children.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in the humoral and cellular immunity of patients with chronic tonsillitis before and 1 month after tonsillectomy.


METHODS
37 patients scheduled for tonsillectomy were enrolled in this study. The levels of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, CD25+ and CD16+ + 56+ were measured for cellular immunity, and levels of IgG, IgA, IgM, C3 and C4 were measured for humoral immunity in blood samples taken from these patients before and 1 month after the operation.


RESULTS
The levels of CD3+, CD8+ and CD19+ were reduced in post-operative period as compared to pre-operative period but this was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). However it was found that the level of CD4+ was significantly increased while the level of CD25+ was reduced (P < 0.05) in the post-operative period. There were statistically significant differences between pre- and post-operative levels of immunoglobulins, C3 and C4, which were decreased after tonsillectomy (P < 0.05), but these levels were comparable with those of the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
The results from the present study indicate that humoral and cellular immunity of patients undergoing tonsillectomy were decreased in the early period and came to normal later. The cellular and humoral immune responses are stimulated in patients with tonsillitis, and tonsillectomy removes this stimulus without negatively affecting the patient's immune functions.
Kaygusuz
Irfan
I
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Firat University Medical Faculty, Firat Universitesi Firat, Tip Merkezi KBB Klinigi, 23200 Elazig, Turkey. kaygusuz_67@yahoo.com
Gödekmerdan
Ahmet
A
Karlidag
Turgut
T
Keleş
Erol
E
Yalçin
Sinasi
S
Aral
Ibrahim
I
Yildiz
Mücahit
M
D000917:Antibody Formation; D018941:Antigens, CD19 / Q000097:blood; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000097:blood; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000032:analysis; D003181:Complement C4 / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D017452:Receptors, IgG / Q000097:blood; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000379:methods; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000601:surgery*
D018941:Antigens, CD19; D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D003176:Complement C3; D003181:Complement C4; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D017452:Receptors, IgG; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2