Objective: To analyze soluble and membrane-bound peptidase activities in the tonsils and adenoids removed from patients with adenoid hyperplasia, tonsillar hyperplasia and chronic tonsillitis.
Methods: A total of 48 tissue samples from patients undergoing adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy for adenoid hyperplasia, tonsillar hyperplasia or chronic tonsillitis were analyzed. The catalytic activity of a pool of peptidases in the soluble (dipeptidyl peptidase IV, aminopeptidase A, aminopeptidase N and cystinyl aminopeptidase) and membrane-bound (prolyl endopeptidase, aspartyl aminopeptidase, aminopeptidase B and pyroglutamyl peptidase I) fractions was measured fluorometrically.
Results: The activity of membrane-bound aminopeptidase B was higher in cases of chronic tonsillitis and adenoid hyperplasia than in tonsillar hyperplasia, p=0.004. Soluble dipeptidyl peptidase IV and membrane-bound pyroglutamyl peptidase I were found to be more active in tissues from male chronic tonsillitis tissues, p<0.05, while membrane-bound aminopeptidase B activity was higher in tissues of females with tonsillar hyperplasia, p<0.001. In the case of chronic tonsillitis, soluble aminopeptidase A was found to have a higher level of activity in tissues from children than those from adults, p=0.005.
Conclusions: Our results suggest a potential role of soluble aminopeptidase A, soluble dipeptidyl peptidase IV, membrane-bound aminopeptidase B and membrane-bound pyroglutamyl peptidase I in the pathobiology of adenoid hyperplasia, tonsillar hyperplasia and chronic tonsillitis that is differently regulated as a function of gender. These finfings may modify in the future the clinical approach to these diseases.
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