IgA levels and carrier rate of pathogenic bacteria in 27 children previously tonsillectomized

The object of the present paper is to present laboratory and clinical data on 27 children of ages between 6 and 11 years, who in connection with tonsillectomy 2 1/2 years earlier had been found to have low serum and saliva IgA levels, low serum IgE levels, and a considerable lack of IgA and IgE plasma cells in the excised tonsils; correlation between deficiency in IgA and culture of pathogenic bacteria from the tonsils was significant. From a clinical point of view, 22 of the children had benefit of the tonsillectomy and had no longer a tendency towards a development of recurrent infections. The remaining 5 patients continued to complain of recurring respiratory infections; in addition, levels of serum and saliva IgA were low. Furthermore, 4 or these 5 children harboured pathogenic bacteria in their throats. Many of the 27 patients still had low serum IgA and IgE levels as compared with levels in healthy, age-related controls; in 3 patients, however, the IgE levels in serum had risen considerably parallel with the development of atopic diseases. Saliva IgA was rather constant after tonsillectomy as compared with the preoperative levels, though it had risen in some of the children. As regards serum IgG and IgM, these immunoglobulins had decreased significantly, and the question is raised, whether it might had been due to the tonsillectomy, either by the removal of chronically infected organs or by the removal of important immunological tissue.