抄録
Recurrent infections in otolaryngology have the characteristics that infections are localized to a narrow anatomical area and they are less severe than systemic infections.
The authors studied 21 cases with recurrent infections of the middle ear, and the following were found.
1. All the patients were very particular about their likes and dislikes of food. Most of them disliked meat and meat products.
2. Although the values of factors for specific host defense mechanism (immunoglobulins) were found to be normal, they showed a decreased value for both chemotaxis and bacteriocidal capacity of the polymorphonuclear leukocytes together with a reduced value in complement C3 factor. Similar findings are seen in Kwashinorkor disease and severe thermal injury. The common underlying factor in these conditions was found to be the hypoproteinemia.
3. The 21 patients had been divided into two groups; one of the groups was treated with antibiotics only, while the other group of patients was treated with antibiotics and hen egg-white lysozyme. In the latter group, it was found that the values of factors of nonspecific host defense mechanism (chemotaxis, bacteriocidal capacity) had improved.
4. It is assumed that the improvement in the values of chemotaxis and bacteriocidal capacity of the polymorphonuclear leukocytes after the administration of hen egg-white lysozyme might be ascribed to the activation of native lysozyme by the agent.
