[Clinical significance of serum secretory immunoglobulin A in cholelithiasis and biliary tract obstruction].

The sera of 93 patients with biliary tract diseases and other diseases were analyzed for secretory immunoglobulin A (sIg A) by sandwich enzyme immunoassay and the results were compared with that in a control group of 117 adults. Serum SIg A levels in patients with bile duct stones or non-cholelithic extrahepatic biliary tract obstruction were markedly higher than that in the control group (P less than 0.001). After drainage of biliary tract, the obstruction was relieved and serum SIg A levels decreased significantly (P less than 0.001). A strong correlation was observed between serum SIg A concentrations and severity of biliary obstruction, rs = 0.743, P less than 0.001. It was also showed that, for the diagnosis of bile duct stone, serum SIgA was more sensitive than serum bilirubin (P less than 0.05) and AKP (P less than 0.025).