Background: Lymphomas are group of diseases caused by malignant lymphocytes that accumulate in lymph nodes and caused the characteristics lymphadenopathy. Occasionally, they may spill over into blood or infiltrate organs outside the lymphoid tissue. The major subdivision of lymphomas is into Hodgkin lymphoma and non–Hodgkin lymphoma and this is based on the histologic presence of Reed-Sternberg cells in Hodgkin lymphoma. Salivary immunoglobulin A is the prominent immunoglobulin and is considered to be the main specific defense mechanism in oral cavity. The aim of this study was to determine the level of salivary immunoglobulin A in lymphoma patients before and after chemotherapy treatment. Subjects, materials and methods: The study included 25 patients (15 male and 10 female) with non–Hodgkin lymphoma(B-cell type) , 25 patients( 16 male and 9 female ) with Hodgkin lymphoma and 25 (15 male and 10 female) healthy control group. Whole un-stimulated saliva was collected to determine the level of salivary immunoglobulin A, which measured by Enzyme Link Immunosorbent Assay. Results: The level of salivary immunoglobulin A was significantly higher in pre-treatment patients in comparison with control group, and there was a significant decrease after chemotherapy treatment when compared to their base line levels in both study groups. Conclusion: The salivary immunoglobulin A was higher in lymphoma patients than control, then its level showed obvious decrease after chemotherapy treatment.
