SALIVARY AND GASTRIC FLUID SECRETORY IMMUNOGLOBULIN-A AND FREE SECRETORY COMPONENT CONCENTRATIONS IN CHILDREN WITH HELICOBACTER PYLORI-POSITIVE GASTRITIS

The concentrations of secretory IgA (sIgA) in the saliva and the conce ntrations of free secretory component (FSC) bath in the saliva and gas tric fluid of patients with Helicobacter pylori (HP)-positive gastriti s and of a control group with functional recurrent abdominal pain (RAP ) were measured in order to determine whether these is a deficiency of these non-specific local defence factors in children with HP infectio n. Eighteen patients with HP-positive gastritis and 12 children with R AP were included in the study and sIgA and FSC concentrations were ana lysed using the radial immunodiffusion technique. In contrast to our i nitial hypothesis, the concentrations of FSC in saliva and gastric flu id and sIgA in saliva of patients with HP infection showed no signific ant difference when compared with children who do not have an organic disease and HP infection. It is suggested that these local defence act ors are not involved in the pathogenesis of HP-positive gastritis.