Cervical mucus secretory IgA in adenomatous polyp, intraepithelial neoplasia and squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.

Cervical mucus secretory IgA concentration ([sIgAc]) was significantly higher in 36 CIN (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia) patients than in 360, age, reproductive status and smoking habit-matched controls. Also, CIN ranked first compared with adenomatous polyp (29 cases), primary or secondary invasive esocervical carcinoma (IEC) (21), ectropion/erosion (49) and specific (27) or aspecific (80) cervicitis. CIN carried the highest proportion of cases with [sIgAc] detectable (86%) or beyond the cut-off value (33%) (IEC: 14% and 0%, respectively). [sIgAc] was inversely related to CIN grade and higher, though nonsignificantly, in patients with HPV-positive CIN biopsy specimens. Histologic and immunologic factors can account for the differences in [sIgAc] observed within the spectrum of neoplastic lesions of the cervix.