[Autoimmune reactions in chronic hypertrophic pharyngitis]

The aim of the study was to examine blood serum and oral liquid of patients with chronic pharyngitis (CF) for autoimmune reaction, i.e. the presence of pharynx-specific antigen (FSA), antibodies to it and complexes antigen-antibody. A total of 29 CF patients were examined and 18 healthy controls. Before the treatment, FSA was detected in the blood and oral liquid in 24.1 and 89.6%, respectively. The indices of the blood and oral liquid correlated. 30 days after conservative treatment the rate of the antigen detection was not less, while after cryosurgical treatment the antigen was not found. Autoantibodies to FSA occurred in the blood of the patients in 86.2%, in the oral liquid in 34.5%. Conservative treatment failed to reduce the antibodies frequency though cryosurgical treatment lowered this frequency to 5.9 and 17.6%, respectively. Immune complexes in the blood of CF patients were registered before the treatment in 10.3%, after conservative treatment in 9.1%, after cryosurgical treatment they were not found. The emergence of autoantibodies and immune complexes may be a normal reaction to introduction of tissue antigen of the affected organ. Detection of the antigen in the blood and oral liquid indicates destruction of the tissue and the test can be used for assessment of the destruction degree.