title: Rhinovirus/enterovirus RNA in tonsillar tissue of children with tonsillar disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human rhinoviruses (HRVs) together with the closely related human enteroviruses (HEVs) cause most of the acute respiratory illnesses throughout the year. HRVs have been detected in most parts of the respiratory tract but not in pharyngeal tonsils.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to find out whether HRVs were detectable in tonsillar tissue and if their presence correlated to the tonsillar disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three tonsillar samples collected in February-March 2003 from children with no acute respiratory symptoms were studied with HRV in situ hybridization (HRV-ISH). Ten tonsillar samples were further examined in a separate laboratory by two different reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methods designed for detection of HRV/HEV RNA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty of the 33 samples (62%) were positive by HRV-ISH. Five positive and five negative HRV-ISH samples were investigated by two different PCR methods. HRV/HEV RNA was detected in 9 of the 10 specimens by a hanging drop-nested PCR. One HRV-ISH negative sample was positive by a conventional non-nested PCR. One of the samples studied by all three methods, from a patient with recurrent tonsillitis, had no detectable HRV/HEV RNA. Positive result in HRV-ISH did not correlate significantly with underlying tonsillar disease, history of respiratory infections or bronchial asthma. Altogether HRV/HEV RNA was detected in 75% of the tonsils with no correlation to patients' operation indication or history of respiratory diseases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In February-March, HRV/HEV RNA was frequently found in tonsillar tissue in children irrespective of the tonsillar pathology. Whether detection of the RNA is a marker of chronic infection or is merely remnant of past infection is not known.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Helsinki University Hospital, Lohja Hospital, Lohjantie 26 A, FI-03100 Nummela, Finland. jari.suvilehto@kolumbus.fi
authors.forename: Jari
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Suvilehto
authors.forename: Merja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roivainen
authors.forename: Mikko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seppänen
authors.forename: Seppo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meri
authors.forename: Tapani
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hovi
authors.forename: Olli
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Carpén
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pitkäranta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004770:Enterovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000821:virology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012229:Rhinovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral