title: Dental caries in congenitally athymic rats.
abstract: The importance of the immune response in dental infection was evaluated in heterozygous (rnu/+) normal and homozygous (rnu/rnu) congenitally athymic "nude" Rowett rats. Animals of both types were infected, or immunized and infected, with mutans streptococci (Streptococcus sobrinus strain 6715). The mean numbers of S. sobrinus cells recovered from the nude rats were higher than those from comparable (immune/nonimmune) normal rats in 10 of 12 possible comparisons. Also, S. sobrinus constituted a greater percentage of the total streptococci in the nude rats compared with normal animals (6 of 6 possible comparisons). Antibody to S. sobrinus whole cells or to S. sobrinus glucosyltransferase from nude rats in serum or in saliva was significantly lower (or absent) than that of comparable normal rats. This was seen after infection, but was most pronounced after immunization (and infection). Dental caries was also significantly elevated in the congenitally athymic animals. Immunologic deficiency of congenitally athymic rats can lead to a greater infection level with mutans streptococci and increased dental caries.
authors.affiliation: Forsyth Dental Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Stack
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Taubman
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsukuda
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ebersole
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kent
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D007114:Immunization; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011923:Rats, Nude; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000032:analysis; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides