title: Differential expression of Immunoglobulin A in the adenoids of children with and without exudative otitis media.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the variation of Immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels in the adenoids of children with otitis media with effusion (OME) and the correlation to age.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 129 children were enrolled in this study, including 60 children with OME and 69 children without OME. The children were divided into two groups according to age: aged ≤ 4 years (33 children with OME and 39 children without OME) and aged > 4 years (27 children with OME and 30 children without OME). The samples were collected from hypertrophic adenoids, which could cause obstructive symptoms and/or OME. The IgA concentrations were analyzed by immunohistochemistry in the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of IgA in the adenoids of children ≤ 4 years was significantly lower than in those aged > 4 years. Among children > 4 years, lower levels of IgA in the adenoids were observed in patients with OME than in patients without OME. However, no statistically significant differences in the IgA levels were found between patients aged ≤ 4 years with and without OME.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The differential expression of IgA in the adenoids between patients with and without OME was correlated to age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xinye
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hongbing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000234:Adenoids / Q000378:metabolism*; D000367:Age Factors; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000378:metabolism*; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A