title: Immunological evaluation of vestibular folds in autopsies of patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
abstract: Immune response cells are decreased in patients with the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. This alters the cell population in vestibular fold lymphoid follicles, leading to respiratory infections in these patients. Such infections are the main cause of mortality and morbidity in these patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  to characterize lymphoid follicle cell populations in the vestibular folds of adults with the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome and associated or not respiratory infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was made of 64 adult larynges harvested during routine autopsies. Anti-B cell, Anti-CD3, Anti-CD68 and Anti-follicular dendritic cell antibodies were used for immunological testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  46 (71.87%) of the sample patients had the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. In these patients, lymphoid follicle cellularity was lower compared to the control group. The cell number was decreased in patients with the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome and associated respiratory tract infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrated in this study that vestibular fold lymphoid follicles were affected by viral infections, and may be considered as a reliable marker of immunodepression in these patients.
authors.forename: Janaínna Grazielle Pacheco
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Olegário
authors.forename: Renata Calciolari
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Ana Karina Marques
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Salge
authors.forename: Rosana Rosa Miranda
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Corrêa
authors.forename: Vicente de Paula Antunes
authors.initials: Vde P
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: Eumenia Costa da Cunha
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Castro
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D001344:Autopsy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D020566:Dendritic Cells, Follicular / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*