[Role of (serum and secretory) IgA deficiency in chronic respiratory disorders. A proposal 21 cases].

The current possibility of measuring at one and the same time serum IgA and sputum SIgA, has led to precision in knowledge of IgA deficits in respiratory pathology. The authors report 21 cases detected in a group of 1000 patients (adults, adolescents and children), suffering from various chronic respiratory disorders and who had either total deficits in serum and sputum IgA (6 cases) or partial deficits (15 cases - mixed [5], serum IgA [5i1, sputum IgA [5]. In 9 cases the assoicated respiratory disorder was bronchiectasis, in 7 recurrent rhino-tracheo-bronchitis and in 5 asthma. In no cases were any extra-respiratory manifestations noted, in particular digestive disturbance or auto-immune disease. In some cases there was an associated deficit in IgE and, much less commonly, in IgG or M. Cellular immunity was not altered. The authors then discuss the place of IgA and SIgA deficitis in the pathogenesis of chronic respiratory pathology as well as their substitutive treatment using natural human immunoglobulins and the results thereof.