Tonsillar Distribution of IgA and IgG Immunocytes and Production of IgA Subclasses and J Chain in Tonsillitis Vary with the Presence or Absence of IgA Nephropathy

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Abstract
At the onset or in the course of IgA nephropathy (IgA NP), upper respiratory tract infections and tonsillitis are often followed by periods of gross haematuria. In a search for possible abnormalities in the tonsillar IgA‐ and IgG‐cell system, the palatine tonsils from seven patients with IgA NP and eight controls, all 15 suffering from chronic recurrent tonsillitis, were subjected to an immunohistochemical study. Compared with the controls, tonsils of NP patients contained a significantly (PPP<0.03). These results are compatible with the hypothesis that in some patients with IgA NP, the polymeric IgA1 deposited in the mesangium may be of tonsillar origin.