The pattern of change in salivary immunoglobulins and antibodies to S-mitis and S-oralis in children undergoing bone marrow transplantation: Use of an indirect method of assessment

The objective of this study was to assess the pattern of change in salivary immunoglobulins and antibodies to S. mitis and S, oralis in 23 children fo llowing allogeneic bone marrow transplantation and their matched controls. To overcome the difficulty of obtaining a sufficient quantity of whole sali va from very young, sick children saliva was collected in a 5-ml oral rinse of sterile normal saline. It was not possible to measure the volume of who le saliva in each rinse and the concentration of the salivary immunoglobuli ns and bacterial antibodies were estimated from 1 mi of oral rinse. Despite these shortcomings a pattern of change in the mean concentrations of total salivary IgA, secretory IgA, antibodies to S, mitis and S, oralis and tota l IgG at specific event-related times during the transplantation period has been demonstrated. There was a significant increase in the concentration o f salivary IgG 7 days post-transplantation, followed by significant decreas es in total salivary IgA, secretory IgA and antibodies to S, mitis after re covery of the peripheral neutrophil count above 0.5 x 10(9). The concentrat ions of total IgA and antibodies to S, oralis was significantly greater in the transplant group 119 days post-transplantation.