title: Human salivary gland-specific daily variations in histatin concentrations determined by a novel quantitation technique.
abstract: Histatins constitute a distinct family of human salivary antimicrobial peptides, of which histatins 1, 3 and 5 are the most abundant. To evaluate salivary gland-specific differences in histatin secretion, we used the recently developed histatin-zinc precipitation method to quantify histatins and to assess daily variations in secretions. Stimulated pure secretions from parotid glands (HPS) and submandibular/sublingual glands (SMSL) were collected from 10 different subjects at four different times of the day (9:35 a.m.; 12:40 p.m.; 2:50 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.). Zinc precipitation and subsequent reversed phase HPLC analysis were performed to determine concentrations of histatins 1, 3 and 5 with reference to purified histatin standards. Both HPS and SMSL secretions displayed daily variations in histatin concentrations. HPS values showed a maximum at mid-day and SMSL samples showed a maximum in the morning. Mean daily histatin concentrations were almost three fold higher in SMSL than in HPS. Mean histatin 1, 3 and 5 concentrations in HPS from 10 subjects ranged from 0.7 to 2.8, 0.6 to 4.3 and 1.0 to 4.3mg%, respectively. The corresponding means in SMSL were 2.8-12.2, 1.5-7.5 and 2.6-9.0mg%, respectively. Remarkably, although histatins constitute only 3-10% of total protein in these secretions, an almost perfect correlation between total protein and total histatin concentrations was observed for both glands. Despite a broad range in histatin concentrations between individuals, this study demonstrated a hitherto unidentified daily variation in histatin concentrations in HPS and SMSL secretions and a differential expression pattern which might have functional implications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology and Oral Biology, Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine, 100 East Newton Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
authors.forename: Heloisa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gusman
authors.forename: Cataldo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: Eva J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Helmerhorst
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nunn
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Flora
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Troxler
authors.forename: Frank G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Oppenheim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D002712:Chlorides; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D054808:Histatins; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010748:Phosphopeptides / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D013363:Submandibular Gland / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D017967:Zinc Compounds; D000099053:Histidine-Rich Glycoprotein
chemical_list: D002712:Chlorides; C068075:HTN3 protein, human; D054808:Histatins; D010748:Phosphopeptides; D011506:Proteins; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides; D017967:Zinc Compounds; D000099053:Histidine-Rich Glycoprotein; C068074:HTN1 protein, human; C016837:zinc chloride