title: 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.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Gregory
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Hobbs
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kindle
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: VanTo
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Malmstrom
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / Q000276:immunology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology*; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory; D007074:Immunoglobulin G