title: Secretory IgA in cervical mucus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sexually active adolescent girls are uniquely vulnerable to sexually transmitted disease, including cervical cancer and AIDS. Little is known about the development of genital immunity in adolescents. Secretory IgA (sIgA) in cervical mucus is an important component of genital immunity. We studied sIgA levels in cervical mucus samples for both adolescent and adult females.
  
  
  METHODS
  Samples were collected in a university-based adolescent medicine clinic and a university student health center. Participants consisted of 13 sexually active adolescent girls and fourteen adult controls. Samples were collected in the course of routine pelvic exams. All subjects were at least two years post menarche. Mucus was aspirated directly from the cervical os. Diluted samples were liquefied with a proteolytic enzyme (bromelain). Secretory IgA levels were measured by radial immunodiffusion using IgA2 from pooled human plasma as a standard.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Secretory IgA levels for the adolescent group (mean 0.157 g/L SD 0.080) were slightly lower than for the adult group mean (0.199 g/L SD 0.130) although not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cervical sIgA levels were comparable between sexually active adolescents and adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque 87107.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: McGrath
authors.forename: V C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Strasburger
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Cushing
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002582:Cervix Mucus / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / Q000032:analysis*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory