SELF-SAMPLED AND AIR-DRIED CERVICOVAGINAL SECRETIONS CAN BE USED FOR ANALYSES OF MUCOSAL ANTIBODIES

Cervicovaginal secretions were collected from 26 women (13 premenopaus al and 13 postmenopausal) using a new sampling device (MucoSafe(TM)) w ith an absorbent which was introduced into the vagina and retrieved by the women themselves, after which it was air-dried and stored for mon ths at room temperature until extraction of immunoglobulins. Cervical secretions were also collected by absorbent cylindrical wicks (Polyfil tronics) which were introduced into the cervical canal during speculum examination and thereafter kept frozen until extraction. The concentr ations of specific IgA and IgG antibodies (to group B streptococci) in extracts from both methods were corrected by reference to total immun oglobulin levels. Three pairs of samples, all from postmenopausal wome n, were excluded from analysis due to undetectable levels of antibodie s in the MucoSafe(TM) specimen. In the remaining 23 pairs, corrected c oncentrations of IgA and IgG antibodies in samples obtained by MucoSaf e(TM) correlated well with the corresponding concentrations in wick sa mples, R = 0.84 (p < 0.0001) and R = 0.69 (p = 0.0002), respectively, Thus, cervicovaginal secretions for antibody measurements can be obtai ned by this novel method for self-sampling, obviating the need for spe culum examination and storage of frozen samples. (C) 1998 Elsevier Sci ence B.V. All rights reserved.