Immunologic study on patients with chronic granular pharyngitis

ABSTRACT

A study of the SIgA levels in saliva, serum and pharyngeal mucosa with lymphoid tissue of 35 patients suffering from chronic granular pharyngitis was done by an immuno-chemical method. The results were compared with those from 30 healthy subjects served as a control group. The SIgA level in the saliva of the chronic granular pharyngitis patients was significantly lower than that of the control group. This may decrease the local immunity of the pharyngeal mucosa leading to repeated pharyngeal infections. The SIgA level was significantly higher in the pharyngeal mucosa with lymphoid tissue of the chronic granular pharyngitis patients than that of the control group. This may be due to repeated stimulation by microorganisms leading to rise of SIgA level strengthen the protective ability of the pharyngeal mucosa. No significant change was found in the SIgA serum levels of the chronic granular pharyngitis patients compared to the control group. These findings prove that SIgA has a local immune function that can be stimulated independently of systemic immunity. Our results stress the importance of raising and adjusting the immune function of the chronic granular pharyngitis patients beside other measures: