Immunoglobulin concentrations in the duodenal fluids of infants and children. II. The effect of pancreozymin and secretin.

A study was conducted to determine whether pancreozymin and secretin affect the levels of immunoglobulins in duodenal fluid of children. The subjects consisted of 45 infants and children without gastrointestinal disease. Ig-A concentrations in duodenal fluid were significantly increased (P less than 0.02) after secretion administration (2 U./kg) as compared to resting fluid levels (18.3 +/- 0.8 vs. 12.9 +/- 1.1 mg./gm. protein). Secretin also produced a significant increase (P less than 0.0002) in Ig-M duodenal fluid levels (25.5 +/- 3.6 vs. 13.8 +/- 1.4 mg./gm. protein). Duodenal fluid Ig-G concentrations were not significantly changed in response to secretin (30.7 +/- 2.3 vs. 29.1 +/- 1.2 mg./gm. protein) or to pancreozymin (29.0 +/- 0.8 mg./gm. protein). Pancreozymin administration (2 U./kg) produced a significant decrease (P less than 0.01) in Ig-A concentration (11.2 +/- 0.8 mg./gm. protein) and a significant increase (P less than .0002) in the Ig-M levels of human duodenal fluid (20.8 +/- 1.8 mg./gm. protein).