Salivary immunoglobulins in children with asthma

Whole saliva of 30 children with extrinsic asthma was analyzed for IgA, IgG and IgE. Salivary albumin concentrations were also determined. The values were compared with those obtained from matched healthy controls. The salivary IgG, IgA and albumin values did not differ from their healthy controls. The IgE concentrations of the asthmatic children, however, were significantly higher. Those children who had recently received hyposensitization therapy showed slightly elevated values of IgE in their saliva. The different medication of the children with asthma did not affect any of the immunoglobulins studied.