Antigens in Streptococcus mutans cross reactive with human heart muscle.
An antigen that cross reacts with mammalian heart tissue has been shown to be present in several strains of S mutans. Inoculation of S mutans into rabbits elicited heart-reactive antibody as part of the immunologic response. This heart-reactive antibody was demonstrated to be tissue-specific in that it only bound heart and smooth muscle tissue. Similar results have been previously reported using group A streptococci. Adsorption studies using sarcolemmal sheaths, group A streptoccal membranes, and fractions of cariogenic streptococci demonstrated the presence of a similar antigen. The aforementioned fractions could remove heart-reactive antibody from both immune rabbit serums and serums from patients with acute rheumatic fever. These findings dictate the necessity for testing any future caries vaccine containing fractions of S mutans for the presence of this cross-reactive antigen to avoid a possible autoimmunization.
D000327:Adsorption; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000276:immunology; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000276:immunology; D003429:Cross Reactions; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000276:immunology*; D011817:Rabbits / Q000276:immunology; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000276:immunology; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000276:immunology*; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000276:immunology*
D000906:Antibodies; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D007106:Immune Sera