Levels of Salivary Immunoglobulin A (SIgA) in HIV Infected Children

Abstract

Secretory IgA is the main type of immunoglobulin in saliva and is considered to be the main secretion factor of adaptive immunity in the mouth. Objective: To assess the effect of Anti Retroviral Therapy on SIgA levels in saliva of HIV infected children. Study Design: A cross-sectional sample of 50 HIV infected children aged 6–8 years were divided into 2 groups ; Group 1: children prior to onset of anti-retroviral therapy and Group 2: children undergoing anti-retroviral therapy. Stimulated whole saliva samples were collected from each child following I hour of breakfast. The samples were placed on ice packs and immediately transferred to a laboratory, processed and total SIgA quantification was estimated using ELISA. Data obtained was statistically analyzed. Results: Among HIV infected children, significantly low SIgA levels of 6.2 mg/dl was seen in children prior to ART. Conclusion: Salivary IgA levels were significantly low in HIV infected children, particularly in children prior to ART.