A study on the correlations between salivary levels of lysozyme, lactoferrin and secretory Immunoglobulin A to Streptococcus mutans and caries susceptibility

치아우식감수성과 타액내 Lysozyme, Lactoferrin 및 Streptococcus mutans에 대한 secretory IgA 수준과의 상관관계에 관한 연구

Saliva plays an important role in modulating the oral microbial ecology. And it is suggested to influence the initiation and progression of the dental caries. To evaluate the correlations between the salivary antimicrobial agents and the caries susceptibility, the 51 subjects were divided into 3 groups according to caries experience ; caries resistant group, medium caries susceptible group, and high caries susceptible group. Stimulated whole saliva was collected, and the salivary levels were measured for lysozyme, lactoferrin, and secretory-IgA to Streptococcus mutans. The lysozyme level was estimated using Micrococcus diffusion plate, lactoferrin level was determined with a non-competitive avidin-biotin enzyme immunoassay, and the titer of secretory IgA to Streptococcus mutans was assayed with ELISA. The results were as follows: 1. Lysozyme levels of each group showed no significant difference statistically (p>0.05). 2. The caries resistant group and the medium caries susceptible group had significantly higher levels of lactoferrin than the high caries susceptible group (p<0.05). But no clear difference was observed between the caries resistant group and the medium caries susceptible group(p>0.05). 3. The caries resistant group and the medium caries susceptible group showed relatively higher levels of the secretory IgA to Streptococcus mutans than the pigh caries susceptible group, but no significant difference was observed statistically (p>0.05).