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Helicobacter pylori is associated with peptic ulcer disease and represents a risk factor in gastric cancer and maltoma. Secretory IgA, is the predominant gastrointestinal mucosal antibody, with an important effect against different antigens. The objetive of this study was to measure the salival specific secretory IgA anti-H, pylori value in 30 children from a private clinic in Caracas, with chronic abdominal pain (13 female; 17 male, range 2-15 years old mean 7,3 ± 3,8). Each child underwent clinical evaluation, serum IgG anti-H. pylori, salival 1gAs anti-H, pylori (ELISA), gastric biopsy for histology, rapid urea test and Giardia 1. in duodenal fluid. Chronic gastritis was found in 53% (30% positive H. pylori, 23% negative H. pylori). Chronic active gastritis was detected in 17%, all positive for H. pylori. A significant tendency to increase secretory IgA levels, related to the severity of the histological gastric finding was observed (p=0,0307); which was significantly higher in children with positive H. pylori and chronic active gastritis than chronic gastritis (p=0,0408). These results probably reflect an important effect of the salival secretory IgA antibody in the gastric immunity against H. pylori infection associated with chronicity and activity of gastric infection. Grant from FONaCIT S1-96001408. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]