BACKGROUND:
Defective or immature
antibody responses to pathogens in
children may explain the increased susceptibility to acute
otitis media. However, there is no study in
Korea patients whether a correlation exists between
otitis media with effusion and the levels of
serum immunoglobulins,
IgG subclasses,
IgA,
IgM and
IgE.
METHODS:
45
children with
otitis media with effusion more than 4 episodes in 12 months or 3 episodes in 6 months, 62
children with
otitis media with effusion less than 3 episodes in 12 months and 102
children for
control group took part in the study at the Department of
Otorhinolaryngology of the KyungHee
University from May 2004 to Feburary 2007.
Serum immunoglobulin levels were determined by
nephelometry. And then the relationship between
otitis media with effusion and
serum immunoglobulin level was evaluated.
RESULTS:
In
otitis media prone group,
serum IgG1,
IgG2,
IgG4, and
IgA level was lower than those level of
control group, it was significantly decreased (p0.05).
CONCLUSION:
Lower
immunoglobulins in
children with
otitis media with effusion suggest a generalized decreased
antibody responses. Lower levels of
serum IgG1,
IgG2,
IgG4, and
IgA may be related with chronicity or intractability of
otitis media with effusion.