title: Salivary blood group antigens and microbial flora.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Secretor is an individual with ability to produce blood group reactive substances in the exocrine glands and to secrete these substances in the body fluids such as saliva. In saliva the blood reactive antigens are found primarily on mucins which exhibit microheterogenicity and different subtypes of these molecules. This study was done to find out if the salivary blood group antigens have any role in the adherence of certain selected microorganism in the oral cavity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Unstimulated whole saliva and sub gingival plaque samples were collected from subjects with clinically healthy gingival, chronic gingivitis and chronic periodontitis with probing pocket depth ≥4mm and attachment loss ≥1mm. Secretor status was determined by using Haemagglutination Inhibition Assay. Unstimulated whole saliva and sub gingival plaque samples were collected to culture and isolate the selected microorganisms. The clinical scores, secretor status and the presence or absence of selected microorganisms were compared within the groups using Chi-square test and students unpaired t-test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The numbers of secretors were more in the healthy group (22.2%) and non secretors were more in the chronic periodontitis group (22.2%). The clinical scores were higher in the in non secretors compared to the secretors in all the three groups. P intermedia and P gingivalis were prevalent among non secretors in chronic gingivitis group. (P=0.075 and P=0.032) and chronic periodontitis group (P=0.068 and P=0.009).
authors.affiliation: Jaipur Dental College, Kukas Industrial Area, Dhand, Jaipur, Rajastan, India.
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Tabasum
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Nayak
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D055113:Chronic Periodontitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology; D016967:Fusobacterium nucleatum / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology; D010462:Peptostreptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012016:Reference Values; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides