SOC
Surgery on Children

Surgery on Children Journal aims to publish issues related to Pediatric Surgery, Pediatric Neurosurgery, Pediatric Plastic Surgery, Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery, Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery, Pediatric Vascular Surgery, Pediatric Gynecology and Obstetrics, Pediatric Ear Nose Throat, Ophthalmology, Pediatric Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Pediatric Urology, Pediatric Surgical Intensive Care Clinic, and other clinical surgery fields on children of the highest scientific and clinical value at an international level and accepts articles on these topics.

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Original Article
Fecal secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) levels in hirschsprung patients and normal children: a preliminary study
Abstract
Aims: Hirschsprung’s disease (HD) is a congenital neurocristopathy characterized by distal colonic aganglionosis and is associated with an increased risk of enterocolitis and other postoperative complications. Impaired mucosal immunity, particularly alterations in secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), has been proposed as one of the contributing mechanisms. This study aimed to compare fecal sIgA levels between children with Hirschsprung’s disease without enterocolitis and healthy controls.
Methods: This exploratory cross-sectional study enrolled pediatric patients aged 2 months to <18 years between September and December 2024 from two referral hospitals and one primary health center. A total of 32 subjects were included: 16 children with histopathologically confirmed HD without enterocolitis and 16 healthy controls. Control participants had no congenital gastrointestinal abnormalities or recent gastrointestinal symptoms and showed normal findings on physical examination, routine stool analysis, and fecal occult blood testing. Fecal samples were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to quantify sIgA levels. Data normality was assessed using the Shapiro–Wilk test, and group comparisons were performed using the Mann–Whitney U test.
Results: The median fecal sIgA level was 1551.56 µg/mL (27.69–35988.75) in the HD group and 771.87 µg/mL (31.27–11250.52) in controls. Although the median value was numerically higher in the HD group, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.72).
Conclusion: Children with HD without enterocolitis showed a numerically higher median fecal sIgA level than healthy controls, but no statistically significant difference was observed. These findings should be interpreted as exploratory baseline data rather than confirmatory evidence of clinical or mechanistic significance.

Keywords : Hirschsprung’s disease, Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis, secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA)

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Article available in :
Volume 3, Issue 3, 2026
Page : 77-81
https://doi.org/10.51271/SOC-0075
Article Information
Received : 09 Mar 2026
Accepted : 28 Nis 2026
Published : 29 Tem 2026
Corresponding Author :

Riana Pauline Tamba: Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia

[email protected]
Citation : Tamba RP, Rahmaania JC, Yusra Y, Marzuki VA. Fecal secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) levels in Hirschsprung’s disease and healthy controls: a preliminary study. Surg Child. 2026;3(3):77-81. doi:10.51271/SOC-0075

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