Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 11:09AM
Drew Wolfe

Immunoglobin A

"Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is an antibody that plays a critical role in mucosal immunity. More IgA is produced in mucosal linings than all other types of antibody combined;[1] between three and five grams are secreted into the intestinal lumen each day.[2] This accumulates to 75% of the total immunoglobulin produced in the entire body."

"IgA has two subclasses (IgA1 and IgA2) and can exist in a dimeric form called secretory IgA (sIgA). In its secretory form, IgA is the main immunoglobulin found in mucous secretions, including tearssalivacolostrum and secretions from the genitourinary tractgastrointestinal tractprostate and respiratory epithelium. It is also found in small amounts in blood. The secretory component of sIgA protects the immunoglobulin from being degraded by proteolytic enzymes, thus sIgA can survive in the harsh gastrointestinal tract environment and provide protection against microbes that multiply in body secretions.[4] IgA is a poor activator of thecomplement system, and opsonises only weakly. Its heavy chains are of the type α."

Article originally appeared on WorldWideWolfe II (http://drewhwolfe.com/).
See website for complete article licensing information.