Basic & Clinical Medicine ›› 2023, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (2): 336-340.doi: 10.16352/j.issn.1001-6325.2023.02.336

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Advances in immune mechanism of recurrent group A Streptococcus tonsillitis in children

SHI Jia, CAI Cheng*   

  1. Department of Neonatology, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200062, China
  • Received:2021-09-23 Revised:2022-04-07 Online:2023-02-05 Published:2023-02-02
  • Contact: *caicheng2004@163.com

Abstract: Group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus (GAS) is a common infectious agent in children which may cause recurrent inflammation of the tonsils, known as recurrent group A Streptococcus tonsillitis (GAS-RT). Recent studies found that GAS-RT is not an infectious disease as traditional sense, but rather than an immunosensitive disease that evades the immune response through the interaction between superantigens (SAgs) and follicular helper T cells (Tfh) in the germinal center (GC), which exerts a cytotoxic effects on B cells in the GC. This theory suggested a potential new strategy for clinical treatement.

Key words: recurrent tonsillitis, immune mechanism, Streptococcus pyrogenic exotoxins A, T follicular helper cells, bacteriotherapy

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