Immunoglobulin concentrations in cervical mucus in patients with normal and abnormal cervical cytology

Abstract

The cervical mucus of 31 patients with normal and 16 patients with abnormal cervical cytology was investigated at each stage of the menstrual cycle for immunoglobulin IgG, IgA and IgM. IgG and IgA were present in every mucus sample, while IgM was only occasionally found in trace amounts. IgG and IgA increased towards the last week of the menstrual cycle, the increase being in general more marked for IgA. Patients with abnormal cervical cytology showed increased IgG and, more strikingly, IgA concentrations in their cervical mucus, but there was no correlation between the IgG and IgA concentrations at any stage of the menstrual cycle. Whereas in patients with normal cervical cytology the IgG and IgA concentrations correlated throughout the menstrual cycle.