This study aimed to evaluate the palatine tonsils of patients with chronic tonsillitis and spinocellular carcinoma to determine the presence of nano-sized particles. Tonsil samples from adult patients with chronic tonsillitis and spinocellular carcinoma of the palatine tonsil were dried and analyzed using a scanning electron microscope with the X-ray microprobe of an energy-dispersive spectroscope. Demographic data and smoking histories were obtained. The principal metals found in almost all tissues analyzed were iron, chromium, nickel, aluminum, zinc, and copper. No significant difference in elemental composition was found between the group of patients with chronic tonsillitis and the group with spinocellular carcinoma of the palatine tonsil. Likewise, no significant difference was found between the group of smokers and the group of nonsmokers. The presence of various micro- and nano-sized metallic particles in human tonsils was confirmed. These particles may potentially cause an inflammatory response as well as neoplastic changes in human palatine tonsils similar to those occurring in the lungs. Further and more detailed studies addressing this issue, including studies designed to determine the chemical form of the metals detected, studies devoted to quantitative analysis, biokinetics, and to the degradation and elimination of nanoparticles are needed for a more detailed prediction of the relation between the diagnosis and the presence of specific metal nanoparticles in tonsillar tissue.
- MeSH
- chronická nemoc MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- kovové nanočástice analýza MeSH
- krční mandle chemie MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mikroskopie elektronová rastrovací MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- spinocelulární karcinom chemie MeSH
- tonzilární nádory chemie MeSH
- tonzilitida metabolismus MeSH
- vystavení vlivu životního prostředí MeSH
- Check Tag
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- MeSH
- glykosaminoglykany metabolismus MeSH
- histocytochemie * MeSH
- krční mandle cytologie metabolismus MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- tonzilitida metabolismus patologie MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Názvy látek
- glykosaminoglykany MeSH
