A Feeling of Interest was Associated with a Transient Increase in Salivary Immunoglobulin A Secretion in Students Attending a Lecture

ABSTRACT

Relations between feelings and salivary IgA secretion were assessed in co-medical students attending a lecture. The assessments were performed twice in two different classes held in December, 1999 and October, 2000 in the same manner, then the data of the two trials were combined and analyzed. On the basis of the impression of the lecture, students were divided into two groups a group who felt interested and another group who felt indifferent or bored. Saliva samples were taken three times, at the beginning of, at the end of, and 15 minutes after the class, then the secretory IgA in saliva was determined by ELISA. At the end of the class, an increase in salivary IgA secretion was seen in the group who felt interested, while not in the group who felt indifferent or bored. The increasing change in salivary IgA secretion was, however, moderate and transient, namely it increased only by about +30% on average, and returned to the initial level after 15 minutes.