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Salivary Antibodies in Acute Gingivitis
Author(s) -
Harding Jon,
Berry W. C.,
Marsh Connell,
Jolliff Carl R.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
journal of periodontology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.036
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1943-3670
pISSN - 0022-3492
DOI - 10.1902/jop.1980.51.2.63
Subject(s) - saliva , gingivitis , antibody , immunoglobulin a , immunoglobulin e , immunology , medicine , tears , body fluid , nephelometry , immunoglobulin g , dentistry
T his investigation was designed to gain information on the relative levels of salivary immunoglobulins in patients with acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis as compared to patients with clinically healthy gingival tissue. Relative levels of salivary immunoglobulins in diseased and healthy patients were measured and standard antisera to human immunoglobulins were used to detect any host antibody production in both parotid fluid and whole saliva. Salivary samples were analyzed for five classes of immunoglobulins: IgG, IgM, IgA, IgA sec , and IgE. Healthy individuals showed no detectable concentration of IgM or IgE in whole saliva or parotid fluid. IgG, IgA, and IgA sec were present in all samples. Individuals with acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis demonstrated no detectable concentration of IgM in whole saliva or parotid fluid, IgE in normal individuals was not detectable; therefore, it was not included in the acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis analysis. There was a decrease in parotid fluid concentrations of IgG, IgA, and IgA sec . Whole saliva showed a decreased concentration of IgG and IgA. The IgA sec concentration was increased in whole saliva. At the 5% level of significance, the “Students” t test illustrates that in acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis patients IgG, IgA and IgA sec concentrations in parotid fluid demonstrate a significant difference in relative concentrations as compared to the normal individuals. Whole saliva IgA and IgA sec concentrations were significantly different. Whole saliva IgG concentrations were not significantly different at this level. The Chi‐square test at the 5% level of significance illustrates the same order of significance as in “Student” t test, for the relative frequency of salivary immunoglobulins in acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis patients as compared to normal individuals. The decreased salivary immunoglobulin concentration observed in acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis patients, as compared to normal individuals, suggests that an immune defect—hypogammaglobulinemia—may be the primary factor in the etiology of acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis. The increased whole saliva IgA sec concentration illustrated in acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis patients, as compared to normal individuals, suggests that “pathotopic potentiation” may be responsible for such an increase.