Are recurrent and chronic tonsillitis different entities? An immunological study with specific markers of inflammatory stages.

It seems that there are clinical differences between tonsillitis in children and adults. In order to verify whether such a supposed clinical subdivision be true, tonsillar mononuclear cells from 20 children operated on for recurrent tonsillitis caused by a common flora and 20 adult patients with an indication for surgery for chronic tonsillitis were studied by means of monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) specific for the antigens associated with each stage of the inflammatory response. BMA 4D10 and BMA 27E10 MoAbs were used as markers for the early stages, BMA RM 3/1 for the intermediate stage. BMA 25 F 9 for the late stage, and BMA G 16/1 for the chronic stage. The results indicate that chronic tonsillitis in the adult should be considered as such (higher expression of antigens associated with the chronic stages (p = 0.039), low and even lower expression of those associated with the intermediate and acute stages, respectively), whereas tonsillitis in children could perhaps be more correctly regarded as an expression of recurrent inflammation (higher expression of antigens associated with the acute stages (p = 0.022)). Results are presented and discussed.