Larrinaga Gorka, Pérez Itxaro, Sanz Begoña, Zarrazquin Idoia, Casis Luis, Anta Jose Antonio, Martínez Agustin, Santaolalla Francisco
Department of Physiology, University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain.
Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2011 Mar;75(3):347-50. doi: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2010.11.028. Epub 2010 Dec 23.
To analyse peptidase activities in the removed tonsils and adenoids from patients with chronic tonsillitis, tonsillar hyperplasia and adenoid hyperplasia.
We have analyzed 48 tissue samples from patients undergoing tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for chronic tonsillitis, tonsillar hyperplasia or adenoid hyperplasia. Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy samples were collected and frozen for later enzyme analysis. The catalytic activity of a pool of peptidases (dipeptidyl peptidase IV, prolyl endopeptidase, aminopeptidase A, aminopeptidase N, aspartyl aminopeptidase, aminopeptidase B, neutral endopeptidase, pyroglutamyl peptidase I, puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase and cystinyl aminopeptidase) was measured fluorometrically.
The activity of prolyl endopeptidase was higher in tonsillar hyperplasia and adenoid hyperplasia than in chronic tonsillitis. On the contrary, dipeptidyl peptidase IV activity was higher in chronic tonsillitis than in hypertrophic tissues. When data were stratified by age and gender, dipeptidyl peptidase IV was also found to be more active in adult and male chronic tonsillitis tissues. Inversely, dipeptidyl peptidase IV activity was higher in tissues of females with tonsillar hyperplasia.
These data indicate the involvement of dipeptidyl peptidase IV and prolyl endopeptidase in the mechanisms underlying chronic tonsillitis, tonsillar hyperplasia and adenoid hyperplasia.
