[Determination of secretory immunoglobulin A in the saliva of children with recurrent and chronic respiratory tract diseases during a stay at a health resort].

Investigations of sIgA-concentrations in saliva of 101 children in age of 2 to 4 years with recurrent and chronic airways diseases were performed by means of a sIgA specific enzyme linked immunoassay. The aim was to find out immunodeficiencies in comparison to healthy children (n = 50), and to test whether or not there is an influence of medical and climate treatment over a period of 8 weeks onto sIgA values in saliva. Only 3 children showed decreased sIgA concentrations. There were no differences between patients and healthy children because of the great interindividual variances of sIgA concentrations. An effect of climate cure to sIgA values could not be shown.