The application of enzyme immunoassay to the study of salivary IGA.

In the study of salivary IgA, solid-phase enzyme immunoassay has been able to show that 1) the assay is reliable, 2) minimal loss of IgA occurs from centrifuging or by elimination of insoluble mucins, 3) IgA can be easily measured in fractions from sucrose gradient sedimentation, 4) freezing alone is sufficient to preserve salivary IgA, 5) the concentration in normal saliva in 11 persons ranged from 15 to 240 mg/L (-/x = 81), and 6) an abnormal saliva contained less than 6 ug/L, the detection limit for this EIA.