Isolation of Secretory Immunoglobulin A (sIgA) from nasal secretions collected in saline and Viral Transport Medium.

Secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) is the major immunoglobulin found on all mucosal surfaces, including the nasal cavity and the lining of the gut. It is the first line of defence against pathogens which enter through the nasal cavity or mouth. sIgA1 binds to a lectin isolated from the tropical jackfruit, known as jacalin. Jacalin binds specifically to the D-galactose moiety of sIgA1 and not to sIgA2 which has different sugars. Here we describe a simple and inexpensive method to isolate jacalin from jackfruit seeds, prepare jacalin-Sepharose conjugated beads and isolate sIgA1 from nasal secretion collected in saline as well as in Viral Transport Medium (VTM). The sIgA identity was confirmed by Western blotting using specific antibodies against sIgA heavy chain. Our approach has potential implications as studying sIgA in nasal secretions provides a direct measure of the effectiveness of nasal vaccines at the site of pathogen entry, making it a critical biomarker for both vaccine development and evaluation. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.