This study aimed to investigate the effects of a tonsillectomy on the perceived overall voice quality and timbre. Computer simulations of five Czech vowels were made, including both the calculated resonance effects of large tonsils (size 1.6 cm) and the resonances without tonsils. The simulations were made using a finite element model of the vocal tract, based on magnetic resonance images. The ...

The circular band of lymphoid tissue within the pharynx consisting of the adenoids, the palatine tonsils (Figure 1), and lingual tonsils is known as Waldeyer’s ring. The palatine tonsils are lymphoid tissue with prominent germinal centers and the palatine tonsils, in contrast to the lingual tonsils and adenoids, have a distinct capsule1which separates the tonsils from the lateral pharyngeal wal...

CONTEXT Bacteria within biofilms are resistant to host defenses and antibiotics. The presence of bacterial biofilms within the tissue and crypts of inflamed tonsils may explain the chronicity and recurrent characteristics of some forms of tonsillitis. OBJECTIVE To determine if microbial biofilms occur within clinically abnormal tonsils. DESIGN In this study, we evaluated the histomorphologi...

BACKGROUND The concentration and specific activity of N-acetyl-β-hexosaminidase (HEX) in palatine tonsils with chronic tonsillitis and tonsillar hypertrophy give insight in tonsillar tissue remodeling and constitute a potential marker for diagnosis and treatment of chronic tonsillitis and tonsillar hypertrophy. AIM Determining the concentration and specific activity of N-acetyl-β-hexosaminida...

The purpose of the present study was to compare the cranio-facial morphology in children with and without enlarged tonsils. The material consisted of 73 children with enlarged tonsils, and a control group of children with normal tonsils, matched for age, sex, and number. The mean age for the groups was 10.1 and 10.0 years, respectively. Evaluation of anamnestic history, clinical examination, an...

INTRODUCTION Epigenetics is now considered to be crucially involved in normal genetics and differentiation and in pathological conditions, such as cancer, aging, and inflammation. Epigenetic mechanisms involve DNA methylation and histone modifications. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of inflammation on epigenetics in young subjects and the effect of aging. MATERIALS A...

Thymic CD4(+)CD25(+) cells have regulatory-T-cell-like properties in chickens. This study examined the ontogeny of CD4(+)CD25(+) cells in the thymus and in peripheral compartments in chickens. CD4(+)CD25(+) cells started to appear in the thymus at day 15 of incubation (E15), although at low percentages. Expressed as a percentage of CD4(+) cells, CD4(+)CD25(+) cells increased (P<0.01) from 1.7% ...

Power plant dust is believed to be the main source of the increased presence of the element beryllium in the environment which has been detected in the atmospheric air, surface waters, groundwater, soil, food, and cigarette smoke. In humans, beryllium absorption occurs mainly via the respiratory system. The pharyngeal tonsils are located on the roof of the nasopharynx and are in direct contact ...

BACKGROUND Tonsils play a key role in eliciting immune responses against respiratory pathogens. Little is known about how tonsils contribute to the local immune response after intranasal vaccination. Here, we uniquely report the mucosal humoral responses in tonsils and saliva after intranasal live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) vaccination in children. METHODS Blood, saliva, and tonsils ...