Background: The pharyngeal tonsil is the place of immunological system first contact with pathogenic factors in the nasopharyngeal region, which is responsible for local defence from infection. Chronic antigenic stimulation can lead to adenoid dysfunction and hypertrophy (PMG). Significant role in PMG and in the otitis media with effusion (WZU) play lymphocytes T (CD3(+)) and T-TCR gammadelta. THE AIM of the study was a quantitative analysis of lymphocytes T (CD3(+)) and T-TCR gammadelta in adenoid hypertrophy and otitis media with effusion lasting more than 3 months.
Material and methods: An investigation was executed by flow cytometry in hypertrophied adenoids from children after tonsillectomy. The study and control groups were divided in to 2 subgroups: children younger than 5 years and those aged from 5 to 17 years.
Results: The study showed a statistically significant reduction from 35.6+/-3.1% to 32.0+/-2.8% (p < 0.04) of lymphocytes T gammadelta CD3(+) in the examined group (WZU) compared to the control group (PMG). There was a higher percentage of lymphocytes with TCR gammadelta receptor expression in children with WZU (2.04+/-1.13%) than in PMG group (0.99+/-0.44%) (p < 0.002). The lowest percentage of lymphocytes T-TCR gammadelta was found in younger children with PMG (0.67+/-0.17%) and the highest in WZU in younger children (2.13+/-1.04%) (p < 0.0001). We observed a statistically significant difference in expression of TCR receptors (p < 0.02) between younger children with PMG (0.67+/-0.17%) and older children with PMG (1.24+/-0.43%). We did not find significant differences in lymphocytes T CD3(+) related to age.
Conclusions: The enlarged percentage of lymphocytes T gammadelta in adenoid hypertrophy in children with WZU create a possibility of a more rapid response to inflammatory factors.