title: Salivary defense factors and oral health in patients with common variable immunodeficiency.
abstract: Studies of oral health in patients with common variable immunodeficiency have given controversial results. Obviously, one major factor modifying the oral health of these patients is saliva, in which the antibody-mediated defense is remarkably impaired compared to that of healthy subjects. However, the occurrence of nonimmunoglobulin (innate) antimicrobial agents in saliva of these patients is virtually unknown. Therefore, we analyzed both immune (total IgA, IgG, IgM, anti-Streptococcus mutans IgA, IgG, and IgM antibodies) and nonimmune (lysozyme, lactoferrin, salivary peroxidase, myeloperoxidase, hypothiocyanite, thiocyanate, and agglutinins) factors in whole saliva of 15 patients with common variable immunodeficiency. All patients were on Ig-replacement therapy (median duration, 10 years; range, 2-25 years), which had normalized their IgG but not their IgA or IgM levels both in serum and in saliva. Also, comprehensive clinical and microbiological analyses were made. The control group comprised 15 age- and sex-matched immunologically healthy subjects. The results showed no notable differences in dental caries, periodontal diseases, or salivary microorganisms but the patients had a history of more frequent oral mucosal lesions and respiratory infections. All innate, nonimmune salivary defense factors were equally abundant in the patients as in the controls, in many cases even at somewhat higher concentrations. These findings suggest that in spite of immunodeficiency, patients with common variable immunodeficiency display normal, perhaps even slightly elevated, levels of nonimmunoglobulin defense factors in whole saliva.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kirstilä
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tenovuo
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ruuskanen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nikoskelainen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Irjala
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vilja
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D017074:Common Variable Immunodeficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008828:Microbiological Techniques; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D012463:Saliva / Q000276:immunology*; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000276:immunology; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes