A comparison of the immunoglobulins IgA, IgG and IgE in nasal secretions from normal and asthmatic children

The secreted proteins obtained from nasal washings from eighty-five normal children and fifty asthmatic children, between 6 and 14 years, were investigated by immunological assay for their content of albumin, secretory IgA and IgG. A smaller number of specimens from asthmatic and normal children were examined for their IgE content. There was no statistically significant difference in the levels of albumin, secretory IgA and IgG in the asthmatic and the normal children. The IgE content of nasal wash protein in normal children averaged approximately 70 ng/mg of protein, whereas the IgE content in the asthmatic children averaged greater than 400 ng/mg of wash protein.