The salivary immune response to oral antigens may modulate the number and type of microorganisms which colonize the oral cavity. These responses may be elicited by exposure to antigen in the gut or by exposure of lymphtic tissue in the oral cavity, for example, in minor salivary glands. An understanding of the development of immunocompetence in the infant and young child, and an identifiction of the ages at which children first respond to oral streptococci, such as S. salivrius, knowlegeable fashion. Glucosyltransferases are extracellular products of these streptococci which synethesize glucans, some of which have been implicated in the cariogenicity of S. mutans. To this end, the present investigtion proposes to measure the longitudinal development of IgA antibody levels to glucosyltransferase antigens from S. salivrius, S. sanguis, and S. mutans in whole salivas of infants and children up to five years of age. The presence of these oral streptococci will also be ascertained by selective plating of plaque or oral mucosa in order to identify the irst appearance of these streptococci. The identification of these microorganisms will be correlated with antibody levels to the repective antigens. The distribution of isotypes of salivary antibody, especially in salivas from children younger than six months, will be investigted by high pressure liquid chromatography and enzyme-linked immunosorben assay (ELISA). The antigenic challenge of infants at 2,4 and 6 months of age with oral polio vaccine and parenteral DPT vaccine represents a useful model for exploring immune responses during the development of immuocompetance in the oral cavity. Thus, a longitudinal study of the appearance and changes in salivary antibody levels to poliovirus typs 1, 2 and 3 and to tetanus toxoid will be conducted in children up to five yers of age. Finally, the ability to elicit a local immune response in the oral cavity will be investigated by application of tetanus toxoid to the labial mucosae. Responses will be measured by ELISA in labial minor gland secretions. These data should reveal the potential for local antigenic stimulation in the oral cavity and the use of this route for future immunization protocols.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
2R01DE006153-04
Application #
3219875
Study Section
Oral Biology and Medicine Study Section (OBM)
Project Start
1982-08-01
Project End
1988-07-31
Budget Start
1985-08-01
Budget End
1986-07-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
1985
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Forsyth Institute
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Cambridge
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
Peacock, Zachary S; Cox, Darren; Schmidt, Brian L (2010) Involvement of PTCH1 mutations in the calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor. Oral Oncol 46:387-92
Smith, Daniel J (2010) Dental caries vaccines: prospects and concerns. Expert Rev Vaccines 9:1-3
Klein, Marlise I; Bang, Sungyon; Florio, Flavia M et al. (2006) Genetic diversity of competence gene loci in clinical genotypes of Streptococcus mutans. J Clin Microbiol 44:3015-20
Peacock, Z S; Barnes, L A; King, W F et al. (2005) Influence of microparticle formulation on immunogenicity of SYI, a synthetic peptide derived from Streptococcus mutans GbpB. Oral Microbiol Immunol 20:60-4
Smith, Daniel J; King, William F; Rivero, Joy et al. (2005) Immunological and protective effects of diepitopic subunit dental caries vaccines. Infect Immun 73:2797-804
Russell, Michael W; Childers, Noel K; Michalek, Suzanne M et al. (2004) A Caries Vaccine? The state of the science of immunization against dental caries. Caries Res 38:230-5
Smith, D J; Lam, A; Barnes, L A et al. (2003) Remote glucosyltransferase-microparticle vaccine delivery induces protective immunity in the oral cavity. Oral Microbiol Immunol 18:240-8
Smith, Daniel J; King, William F; Barnes, Leigh A et al. (2003) Immunogenicity and protective immunity induced by synthetic peptides associated with putative immunodominant regions of Streptococcus mutans glucan-binding protein B. Infect Immun 71:1179-84
Smith, D J; King, W F; Godiska, R (2001) Passive transfer of immunoglobulin Y antibody to Streptococcus mutans glucan binding protein B can confer protection against experimental dental caries. Infect Immun 69:3135-42
Smith, D J; King, W F; Barnes, L A et al. (2001) Facilitated intranasal induction of mucosal and systemic immunity to mutans streptococcal glucosyltransferase peptide vaccines. Infect Immun 69:4767-73

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