McGrath J W, Strasburger V C, Cushing A H
Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque 87107.
J Adolesc Health. 1994 Jul;15(5):423-5. doi: 10.1016/1054-139x(94)90268-2.
Sexually active adolescent girls are uniquely vulnerable to sexually transmitted disease, including cervical cancer and AIDS. Little is known about the development of genital immunity in adolescents. Secretory IgA (sIgA) in cervical mucus is an important component of genital immunity. We studied sIgA levels in cervical mucus samples for both adolescent and adult females.
Samples were collected in a university-based adolescent medicine clinic and a university student health center. Participants consisted of 13 sexually active adolescent girls and fourteen adult controls. Samples were collected in the course of routine pelvic exams. All subjects were at least two years post menarche. Mucus was aspirated directly from the cervical os. Diluted samples were liquefied with a proteolytic enzyme (bromelain). Secretory IgA levels were measured by radial immunodiffusion using IgA2 from pooled human plasma as a standard.
Secretory IgA levels for the adolescent group (mean 0.157 g/L SD 0.080) were slightly lower than for the adult group mean (0.199 g/L SD 0.130) although not statistically significant.
Cervical sIgA levels were comparable between sexually active adolescents and adults.
性活跃的青春期女孩特别容易感染性传播疾病，包括宫颈癌和艾滋病。关于青少年生殖系统免疫力的发展情况，人们了解甚少。宫颈黏液中的分泌型免疫球蛋白A（sIgA）是生殖系统免疫力的重要组成部分。我们研究了青春期女性和成年女性宫颈黏液样本中的sIgA水平。
样本在一家大学附属的青少年医学诊所和一个大学生健康中心采集。参与者包括13名性活跃的青春期女孩和14名成年对照者。样本在常规盆腔检查过程中采集。所有受试者初潮后至少已有两年。黏液直接从宫颈口吸出。稀释后的样本用一种蛋白水解酶（菠萝蛋白酶）液化。以来自混合人血浆的IgA2为标准，通过放射免疫扩散法测量分泌型IgA水平。
青春期组的分泌型IgA水平（均值0.157 g/L，标准差0.080）略低于成年组均值（0.199 g/L，标准差0.130），不过差异无统计学意义。
性活跃的青少年和成年人的宫颈sIgA水平相当。
