IgA in the Body Fluids of Sheep and Cattle

Abstract

A monospecific anti-sheep IgA serum has been used to demonstrate the presence of IgA in most of the mucous secretions {whey, non-parotid saliva, nasal, lung and vaginal washings, bile, oviductal and ovarian follicular fluid and seminal plasma) and in blood serum of sheep. Failure to detect IgA in parotid saliva of sheep was consistent with the virtual absence from the parotid gland of cells of the lymphocyte-plasma cell series. IgA was detected in significant quantities in non-parotid saliva which correlated with the finding of numerous pyroninophilic cells in inter-alveolar areas of the sub-maxillary salivary gland. Monospecific anti-sheep IgA cross reacted strongly with IgA in whey [from an immunized gland) and serum of cattle. On this basis it was possible to detect IgA in other mucous secretions (nasal, intestinal and vaginal washings, bile and mixed saliva) of cattle. IgA could be detected in ovine and bovine urine and ovine parotid saliva after concentrating 700-1000-fold.