title: Latex spheres as immunologic markers to demonstrate the binding of human salivary immunoglobulins to Streptococcus mutans.
abstract: The results of this study indicate that latex beads can be used to identify specific antigen-antibody interactions on the surface of bacterial cells. The application of a Labelling Index allowed specific interactions to be quantitatively distinguished from non-specific latex bead attachments. The labeling indexes for latex beads absorbed to anti-salivary immunoglobulins were significantly higher than for negative control indexes when tested against S mutans treated with saliva. Conversely, there was no significant difference when they were tested against nonoral bacteria treated with saliva. This suggests that both whole and parotid human saliva contained specific antibodies against S mutans.
mesh_terms: D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D007840:Latex; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008863:Microspheres; D012463:Saliva / Q000276:immunology*; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000276:immunology; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000276:immunology*; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007136:Immunoglobulins; D007840:Latex