Current Topics on Tonsils and Mucosal Barriers of Upper Airways: Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Tonsils and Mucosal Barriers of the Upper Airways, Wakayama, Japan 9-11 April 2003,(v. 1257 International Congress S.)

This volume is a compilation of 49 papers presented at the 5th International Symposium on Tonsils and Mucosal Barriers of the Upper Airways held in Wakayama, Japan between 9 and 11 April 2003. Upper respiratory tract infections, such as acute otitis media, acute rhinosinusitis and acute pharyngo-tonsillitis are diseases that occur with extremely high frequency, and the anti-microbial agents used to treat these diseases account for a large proportion of health care costs. The increasing refractory nature of upper respiratory tract infections caused by recently appearing drug-resistant microbes in particular is presenting a major clinical problem, and elucidation of the immune functions of the tonsils and other mucosal membranes of the upper respiratory tract is considered to have important significance. The subject of sleep apnea syndrome and its correlations with adenotonsillar hypertrophy has been stirring greater interest among pediatricians, neurologists and otolaryngologists. New investigators, as well as those more experienced, may benefit from the published recommendations from the symposium. The goal is to continue to advance our understanding of epidemiology, etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis and management of tonsil-associated disorders and various upper respiratory tract infections, such as otitis media and rhinosinusitis. Moreover, in the era of drug-resistant microbes we should exert more effort of developing powerful and effective mucosal vaccines against pathogens in upper airways.

Table of Contents:
Preface. Contents. Lectures. Tonsil - a mysterious organ-novel approaches using human-skin/SCID chimera (N. Yamanaka et al.). Mucosal immunity in infectious disease and allergy (P. Brandtzaeg). Syndecan shedding from epithelial cells affects host defense against respiratory infection (E.Kita, K. Mikasa, K. Kasahara). Pneumococcal proteins that may constitute the next generation vaccine for pneumococcal disease (D.E. Briles et al.). Dynamism of the mucosal immune system: from tissue organogenesis to immunity (S. Fukuyama et al.). Powered intracapsular tonsillectomy: for pediatric tonsillar hypertrophy (P.J. Koltai). Tonsil immunity and pharyngo-tonsillitis. Immunological derangement in tonsils with recurrent infections A study of co-stimulatory factors on tonsillar B lymphocytes (K. Fujihara et al.). Tonsil immunity and efficacy of tonsillectomy for tonsillar focal infections (Y. Harabuchi et al.). Mucosal vaccine. Mucosal vaccines for Moraxella catarrhalis (X.X. Gu et al.). Morphology and innate immunity of tonsils. Palatine tonsils - are they branchiogenic organs? (J. Slipka Sr., J. Slipka Jr.). Lymphoepithelial compartment of human palatine tonsils as a structural homologue of the thymus (V. Bykova et al.). Expression profile of human defensins in tonsils (R. Imai et al.). Animal models for tonsil research. M-cell subsets in SCID mice nasal tonsil (T. Karchev et al.). Tonsils and sleep apnea. Results of tonsillectomy for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in adults with tonsillar hypertrophy (S. Nakata et al.). Obstructive sleep apnea by analysis of MRI findings (T. Shintani, T. Kozawa, T. Himi). Mucosal defense and allergy in upper airways. Bacteriological view of lower respiratory tract infection in children seen in regional hospital in Yokohama (A. Nariai, S. Yokota). Distribution and role of mast cells in human tonsil (H. Yokoi et al.). Expression of steroid receptors in palatine tonsils (H. Shirasaki et al.). Recurrent tonsillitis. Intranasal immuniation against Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis (J.C. McMichael et al.). Clinical aspects of inferior pole peritonsillar abscess (Y. Hayamizu et al.). Bacterial infections in tonsils and the lower airways. Detection of Neisseria meningitidis in tonsils varies in relation to the frequency of invasive disease (D. Nadal et al.). Immune responses of palatine tonsil against bacterial antigens (N. Tanaka et al.). Focal infections and basic problems - IgA nephropathy and arthritis. A 10-year retrospective case-control study for IgA nephropathy after tonsillectomy (H. Akagi et al.). Poststreptococcal reactive arthritis and tonsillitis induced reactive arthritis (S. Kobayashi et al.). Viral and bacterial infections and mucosal immunity. Detection of Epstein-Barr virus in children's adenoids by in situ hybridization (L.H. Endo et al.). Focal infections and basic problems - PPP. T-cell activation in tonsils of patients with pustulosis palmaris et plantaris (M. Takahara et al.). The role of palatine tonsil in the pathogenesis of pustulosis palmaris et plantaris (T. Iwatsubo et al.). A role of skin homing receptor on tonsillar T-cells from patients with pustulosis palmaris et plantaris (PPP) (H. Nozawa et al.). MALT, NALT and mucosal vaccines. Epitope analysis of the P6 outer membrane protein of non-typeable haemophilus influenzae (Y. Ishida et al.). NALT-genesis is induced by Id2 gene-dependent CD3-CD4+CD45+cells (S. Fukuyama et al.). Medical and surgical treatments for tonsillar diseases. Nasopharyngeal flora and drug susceptibility in children with macrolide therapy (Y. Iino et al.). Endoscopic adenoidectomy with microdebrider (S. Rojas Khek et al.). Development of new blades of ultrasonic surgical system (SonoSurgR) for tonsillectomy and nasal conchotomy (K. Suzuki et al.). Immediate tonsillectomy for peritonsillar abscess (T. Watanabe et al.). Otitis media and tonsils. Adenoid and otitis media with effusion - mini review (H. Takahashi et al.). Detection of Alloiococcus otitidis and three middle ear pathogens in the nasopharynx and the middle ear effusion of otitis-prone children (R. Takada et al.). Posters. Acoustic analysis of pediatric snoring (H. Hattori et al.). Acoustic analysis of snoring sounds with chaos theory (A. Sakakura). Anterior uveitis and poststreptococcal reactive arthritis (S. Kobayashi et al.). Bacterial florae of palatine tonsils in patients with IgA nephropathy (S. Matsutani, O. Hotta). Recurrent and chronic inflammations of Waldeyer's ring in childhood: infectuous, structural and immunological features (D. Passali et al.). Modifications of moxifloxacin concentrations in plasma and tonsillar tissue after multiple administration in adults (D. Passali et al.). HIV mucosal vaccine: nasal immunization with rBCG-V3J1 induces a long term V3J1 peptide-specific neutralizing immunity in Th1 - and Th2- deficient condition (H. Goto et al.). The EBV action in tonsils and adenoids (L.H. Endo et al.). Management of peritonsillar abscess (K. Yoda et al.). Usage of surgical lasers for the treatment of chronic tonsillitis (E.A. Lvova, I.S. Manevich). Evaluation of pharyngolryngeal region with 3-D computed tomography (M. Oda et al.). Malignant lymphoma of the tonsil (S. Endo et al.). A study of costimulatory factors in tonsils of pustulosis palmaris et plantaris (K. Kishibe et al.). Index of authors. Keyword index.