title: rEnolase maternal immunization confers caries protection on offspring.
abstract: Therapeutic vaccination with Streptococcus sobrinus recombinant enolase (rEnolase) protects rats from dental caries. Here, we investigated the effect that maternal rEnolase vaccination before pregnancy had on the offspring's immune response to S. sobrinus oral infection and dental caries progression. Female Wistar rats were immunized by intranasal and subcutaneous routes with rEnolase adsorbed onto aluminum hydroxide as adjuvant or similarly treated with the adjuvant alone (sham-immunized). Ten days after the last administration, the immunized females were paired with a male rat. The oral immune responses to S. sobrinus infection and dental caries in the offspring were evaluated. The results showed that pups born from rEnolase-immunized mothers had higher levels of rEnolase-specific salivary IgA and IgG antibodies (indicating a placental antibody transfer) and lower sulcal and proximal enamel caries scores than rats born from sham-immunized mothers. In conclusion, rEnolase maternal immunization before pregnancy provides offspring with protection against S. sobrinus-induced dental caries.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology, ICBAS-Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar, Largo Prof. Abel Salazar 2, 4099-003 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dinis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Trigo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chaves
authors.forename: A J M M
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tavares
authors.forename: A M S
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cabrita
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D007112:Immunity, Maternally-Acquired; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012463:Saliva / Q000276:immunology; D022541:Streptococcal Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016986:Streptococcus sobrinus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D022541:Streptococcal Vaccines; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase