Immunologic impact of tonsillopharyngitis associated with group A streptococci.

While very common clinically, group A streptococcal infections of the upper respiratory tract remain incompletely understood. Vital to clarifying these incompletely answered questions is the understanding of the immune responses associated with infection and the enigmatic 'carrier state'. An important aspect of this is understanding the differences between an immune response and a protective immune response. Several of these concerns are discussed.