Immunodominant antigens of Streptococcus mutans in dental caries-resistant subjects.

Abstract

Previously, we reported that dental caries-resistant subjects, who have significantly fewer Streptococcus mutans in whole saliva than caries-susceptible patients, have significantly higher levels of naturally occurring binding and neutralizing parotid salivary immunoglobulin A and serum immunoglobulin G antibodies to native S. mutans antigens than caries-susceptible patients. Recent animal studies indicated that the immunogenicity of swallowed S. mutans may be altered by either saliva-coating or stomach acid-denaturation. These results suggest a difference not only in the quantity of antibody to S. mutans, but also in the antigenic epitopes that caries-resistant subjects synthesize antibody to as compared with caries-susceptible patients. In the present report, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis/immunoblotting studies indicate that caries-resistant subjects produce salivary immunoglobulin A and serum immunoglobulin G antibodies to several different (molecular weight: 94, 80, 40, and 35 kilodaltons) as well as several similar (molecular weight: 67, 55, and 30 kilodaltons) S. mutans epitopes as compared to caries-susceptible patients. This provides additional confirmation for our previous binding and functional antibody studies, indicating that caries-resistant subjects synthesize antibodies of different specificities than caries-susceptible patients. This study supports the concept of immune regulation of dental caries by naturally occurring antibodies induced by swallowing S. mutans antigens in saliva.

• Authors: R L Gregory, L C Hobbs, J C Kindle, T VanTo, H S Malmstrom
• Journal: Human antibodies and hybridomas (Hum Antibodies Hybridomas) Vol. 1 Issue 3 Pg. 132-6 ( 1990) ISSN: 0956-960X [Print] United States
• PMID: 2103356 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Bacterial
• Antigens, Bacterial
• Immunodominant Epitopes
• Immunoglobulin A, Secretory
• Immunoglobulin G

Topics

• Antibodies, Bacterial (immunology)
• Antigens, Bacterial (immunology)
• DMF Index
• Dental Caries (blood, immunology)
• Disease Susceptibility (immunology)
• Humans
• Immunodominant Epitopes (immunology)
• Immunoglobulin A, Secretory (immunology)
• Immunoglobulin G (immunology)
• Saliva (microbiology)
• Streptococcus mutans (immunology)