The tonsils and pustulosis palmaris et plantaris as viewed against the genetic background.

In spite of considerable research so far made on the etiology of pustulosis palmaris et plantaris (PPP), several points remain obscure. However, since tonsillectomy has been found to improve the symptoms and cure the disease, some researchers have suspected PPP to be a tonsillar focal infection. Another well-known fact is that Streptococci too are associated with tonsillar focal infection, and that even in patients with PPP, high antibody titres against Streptococci have been observed. The authors have obtained results suggesting the existence of a genetic origin in patients with chronic tonsillitis in terms of the production of antibody against Streptococci. Proceeding from these results, we have tried HL-A typing by the microcytotoxicity (NIH) method, using HL-AA and HL-AB for determination. HL-A typing was performed on 43 PPP patients, but no results were obtained which would indicate a close correlation between PPP and HL-A antigens.