The role of secretory immunoglobulin (Ig) A in nasopharyngeal secretions in the adherence of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Hemophilus influenzae to nasopharyngeal epithelial cells was investigated in vitro. The adherence was remarkably reduced by treating bacteria with nasopharyngeal secretions, and the antiadhesive activity was significantly greater in nasopharyngeal secretions having secretory IgA antibody activity against bacteria than in those having no activity. Noticeable changes were not observed in the antiadhesive activity caused by absorption of IgG from nasopharyngeal secretions. Results suggest that secretory IgA in nasopharyngeal secretions is related to bacterial adherence and adds to the prevention of nasopharyngeal infections.

The concentration of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in middle ear effusion (MEE) was measured by the electron spin resonance trapping method in order to clarify the role of SOD in otitis media with effusion (OME) in children. The SOD levels in mucoid MEEs were significantly higher than those in serous and purulent MEEs. There was no significant difference in the levels of SOD between neutrophil-dominant MEEs and mononuclear cell-dominant MEEs, and the levels were negatively correlated with the number of neutrophils in the MEEs. Moreover, the levels were significantly increased in patients having recurrence of MEE within 3 months compared with patients without recurrence of MEE. Although it is known that SOD plays an important role in protecting the host from oxygen radicals, the findings in this study suggest that SOD might be related to the chronicity of OME.

BALB/c mice were immunized orally or subcutaneously with formalin-killed nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi). Salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibody titers against NTHi were significantly increased by oral immunization, but not by subcutaneous immunization. Both immunization procedures remarkably increased the levels of serum antibody activities of both IgA and immunoglobulin G. Live NTHi were then inoculated into the naso-pharynx, and the clearance of the pathogen from the nasopharynx was observed. Significantly fewer bacteria were present in the nasopharynx of the orally immunized mice than in the control mice. However, there was no significant difference between the subcutaneously immunized mice and the control mice. The results indicate that oral immunization can enhance the ability of mice to clear NTHi from the nasopharynx.

No abstract

Chondroblastoma, or so-called benign chondroblastoma, is a relatively rare tumor, accounting for less than 1% of all benign tumors arising from bone. 1,2 This tumor frequently grows within the epiphysis of long bones, but very rarely in the temporal bone. Since Vandenberg and Coley 3 reported the first case of chondroblastoma of the temporal bone in 1950, 33 cases of this tumor have been reported. [4][5][6] This tumor grows aggressively and is characterized by local recurrence and metastasis and should be considered, clinically, to be a malignant tumor. We report one case of chondroblastoma of the temporal bone and discuss differential diagnosis and treatment.