LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS OF HUMAN SALIVARY IMMUNOGLOBULINS, NONIMMUNE ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS, AND MICROFLORA AFTER TONSILLECTOMY

In order to study the role of tonsils in the host defense in the oral region one pre- and two postoperative (1 and 6 months) whole saliva sa mples were collected from 25 young adults referred for tonsillectomy. Saliva samples were analyzed for selected host defense factors, repres enting both immune (total IgA, IgG, IgM, anti-Streptococcus mutans, an ti-EBV, anti-CMV, and anti-adenovirus IgG and IgG) and nonimmunoglobul in (lysozyme, lactoferrin, salivary peroxidases, thiocyanate, hypothio cyanite, and agglutinins) mediators. Following tonsillectomy, a signif icant (P < 0.04) reduction was observed in specific IgG antibodies, su ggesting that tonsils participate in local IgG response to oral antige ns. Total IgM levels also decreased (P < 0.006), which may to some ext ent reflect reduced antigenic stimuli compared to preoperative status with frequent tonsillitis. Saliva-derived nonimmunoglobulin host defen se factors, except lactoferrin, which declined significantly, remained normal throughout the study period. Our study indicates that tonsils play a role in local oral IgG-mediated immune response but tonsillecto my does not seem to lead to any significant long-term impairment of sa livary defense capacity. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.