Humoral defending mechanisms in children of smoking parents

In autumn and spring a group of 132 ten-year-old school children (54.5% from families of smokers) were examined for blood content of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, (gM, in autumn including also IgE), lysozyme (LYS) and the so called acute reactants (alpha-1-antitrypsin = A1AT; alpha-2-macroglobulin = A2M; transferrin = TRF; ceruloplasmin = CPL); and for saliva sIgA and sLYS. Autumn examination detected significantly higher mean values of IgE in children from families of smokers, while other mean differences remained insignificant. Spring examination revealed significant differences in the means of IgA levels children from families of smokers (FS) had significantly lower levels of IgA while their saliva sIgA values were significantly higher. Mean spring CPL levels in FS were significantly higher. Analysis of distribution curves of autumn examination showed a significant shift of A1AT towards higher values in boys from FS. Girls from FS exhibited a shift of LYS towards lower values. Spring examination in boys FS evidenced a shift of CPL and sIgA values towards higher values; the curve of serum IgA levels split distinctly into two subgroups. In girls from FS the only change observed during the spring examination was a shift of A2M levels towards higher values with an indication of a split. To conclude, passive smoking in school children is responsible for a number of significant changes, the latter being more frequent and marked in spring when the children's organism is weakened by many other unfavourable circumstances. More significant changes were seen in boys.