Some clinical and immunologic aspects of chronic tonsillitis in children (Russian)

A study was made of the clinical features and state of natural immunity in 95 children aged from 3 to 7 yr suffering from chronic tonsillitis and with a systolic heart murmur. The children were reexamined some months later after tonsillectomy. The phonocardiographic and ECG data showed that cardiac changes in children of preschool age had mainly a functional character. These changes were caused by the anatomic and physiological features of the cardiovascular system, or a reflex influence of the tonsils on the extracardiac neural apparatus, or the influence of chronic toxemia on the myocardium. A study of the condition of natural immunity showed that the levels of lysozyme, complement and the main groups of immunoglobulins were not appreciably changed in cases of chronic tonsillitis. At the same time there was a rise in the titer of antibodies to E. coli and to Streptococcus hemolyticus, and an increase of the phagocytic activity of the blood neutrophils against staphylococcus was also observed.