RESUMO
It has been informed in cases with epithelial neoplasias an increased level of secretory immunoglobulin A (IgAS) in bronchial secretions: IgAS, IgG and IgM were measured in bronchial secretions and sera in four groups: bronchogenic carcinoma (Brc), lung metastasis, chronic bronchitis (CB) and voluntary subjects without respiratory disease. It was employed radial immunodiffusion method (RID) with a control from human colostrum for IgAS and commercial controls with the same method for IgG and IgM. To avoid dilutional factor it was established the relation between IgAS, IgA and IgM with total proteins in the samples of bronchial lavage (Ig/tp). Using ANOVA it was found a significative difference (p less than .002) in IgAS/tp among the four groups in the bronchial samples. With Mann-Whitney there was a p less than .05 comparing the healthy control group with any of the others. There was no statistical differences among the BrC and the metastasis or CB groups; IgG and IgM did not showed differences. The seric values of the immunoglobulins has normal levels. It was detected low levels of IgAS in the groups with pulmonary pathology in comparison with the healty controls. The present results are different with the previously reported in the revised literature.