Serum Levels of Selected Cellular and Humoral Factors in Children with Recurrent Ear Infections Attending University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State

Abstract

Background: Ear infections are known to mostly affect young children. It is commonly caused by bacterial or viral infection in the middle ear. Previous studies have attributed it to immature immunity coupled with an anatomical characteristics of the Eustachian tube in young children as opposed to adults. This study was designed to investigate selected cellular and humoral factors in children with recurrent ear infections attending the University of Ilorin Teaching hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State.

Materials and Methods: After obtaining ethical approval, 90 participants comprising 50 children with recurrent ear infections and 40 apparently healthy, age-matched controls were recruited into this case-control study. Total white blood cell (WBC) count and differentials were determined using haemocytometry, serum IgG level was determined using ELISA, while total protein and albumin levels were determined using spectrophotometry. Data were analysed using the Student’s t-test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. P-values less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.   

Results: Among the cases, 64.70% of the patients were males, while 35.3% were females. Patients with recurrent ear infections had significantly decreased total WBC count and absolute neutrophil count but an increased eosinophil count compared to controls. However, serum levels of IgG, total protein, albumin, total globulin and albumin/globulin ratio were similar between the patients and controls.

Conclusion: Chronic otitis media is characterized by leukopenia and neutropenia, but the total protein profile remains unaltered. Children with chronic otitis media have compromised cellular immune defence which may increase their vulnerability to other infections.