Oxidants and antioxidants in tonsillar and adenoidal tissue in chronic adenotonsillitis and adenotonsillar hypertrophy in children

Objective: The aim of the study is to determine the possible role of oxidants and antioxidants in the pathogenesis of chronic adenotonsillitis and adenotonsillar hypertrophy in children. Patients and methods: The children were divided into infection and hypertrophy groups, which were comparable according to age and gender distribution. The infection group was consisted of 20 children with the diagnosis of chronic adenotonsillitis and the hypertrophy group was made up of 19 childen with adenotonsillar hypertrophy to whom adenotonsillectomy was performed. Preoperative blood levels of erythrocyte MDA, serum MDA, erythrocyte catatase and serum catatase, and adenoidal and tonsillar tissue levels of MDA and catatase were studied. Results: There were significant increase in tonsil MDA, adenoid MDA, tonsil catalase and adenoid catalase levels in infection group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Oxidants and antioxidants are found to have an important rote in the pathogenesis of adenotonsillar hypertrophy and chronic adenotonsillitis. These findings strengthen the hypothesis that indicates adenotonsillar hypertrophy and chronic adenotonsillitis are different diseases of the same tissues. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.