ONTOGENY OF IMMUNOGLOBULINS IN BONE MARROW–TRANSPLANTATED INDIVIDUALS AN ANALYSIS OF SERUM AND SALIVARY LEVELS

Abstract
Unstimulated whole saliva and serum samples were collected from ten allogeneic bone marrow transplant recipients before and after bone marrow transplantation, seven donors, and from twenty healthy individuals. Two patterns with regard to salivary IgA were found after transplantation. In five patients, a short-lasting peak of excessive IgA production was noted shortly after BMT. Two of these patients had an increase of both secretory and the nonsecretory form of IgA, whereas the other three only demonstrated elevated nonsecretory IgA levels. After the IgA peak the IgAlevel decreased below the level before BMT. In five patients a different pattern was seen, with a marked decrease in salivary IgA, IgG, and IgM as well as albumin after grafting. A highly variable pattern of reconstitution was seen after on year, when three out of seven patients were still deficient in secretory IgA.