Association between tonsil size and immunoglobulin concentrations

Tonsil size and serum immunoglobulin (G, A, M and D) measurements were studied in 1049 individuals during a health survey on the West Coast of Newfoundland. The data were subjected to multifactorial analysis of variance. People with vestigial tonsils had the lowest mean IgG-levels, whereas those with naturally absent tonsils had the highest mean IgG-levels. There were also statistical differences in the mean IgA levels in relation to tonsil size. Individuals with vestigial tonsil sizes had the highest mean IgA levels whereas those who had had a tonsillectomy had the lowest. There are no tonsil size-related differences for IgM or IgD concentrations.