BACTERIAL ATTACHMENT INVIVO TO EPITHELIAL-CELLS OF THE NASOPHARYNX DURING OTITIS-MEDIA WITH EFFUSION

Epithelial cells were obtained by swabbing the posterior wall of the n asopharynx (NPH) of 15 patients (age one to 6 8/12 years; eight males, seven females) undergoing ENT-surgery under general anaesthesia for o titis media with effusion (OME). Individually matched, ear healthy chi ldren served as controls. Bacteria attached to the non-ciliated cells were calculated according to a method described. Furthermore, quantita tive and qualitative bacteriological analyses were performed on sample s obtained from mucoid middle ear effusion material as well as from th e NPH. All patients and controls harboured middle ear pathogens (S. pn eumoniae, H. influenzae, B. catarrhalis, or S. aureus) in the NPH. Onl y 33 per cent of the patients harboured middle ear pathogens in the mi ddle ear effusion and the same pathogen was invariably found in the co rresponding NPH. Attachment of bacteria to the non-ciliated cells of t he NPH diminished significantly with growing age in the ear healthy co ntrol group but not in the OME group. OME is closely correlated to the presence of middle ear pathogens in the NPH and to attachment of bact eria to the epithelial cells in the NPH.