This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Cole, M. F.
Right arrow Articles by Bowden, G. H. W.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Cole, M. F.
Right arrow Articles by Bowden, G. H. W.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infection and Immunity, April 1999, p. 1878-1886, Vol. 67, No. 4
0019-9567/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Humoral Immunity to Commensal Oral Bacteria in Human Infants: Salivary Secretory Immunoglobulin A Antibodies Reactive with Streptococcus mitis biovar 1, Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus mutans, and Enterococcus faecalis during the First Two Years of Life

Michael F. Cole,1,* Stacey Bryan,1 Mishell K. Evans,1 Cheryl L. Pearce,1 Michael J. Sheridan,1 Patricia A. Sura,1 Raoul L. Wientzen,2 and George H. W. Bowden3

Departments of Microbiology and Immunology1 and Pediatrics,2 Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C. 20007, and Department of Oral Biology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E OW2, Canada3

Received 7 August 1998/Returned for modification 14 October 1998/Accepted 12 January 1999

Secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) antibodies reactive with the pioneer oral streptococci Streptococcus mitis biovar 1 and Streptococcus oralis, the late oral colonizer Streptococcus mutans, and the pioneer enteric bacterium Enterococcus faecalis in saliva samples from 10 human infants from birth to age 2 years were analyzed. Low levels of salivary SIgA1 and SIgA2 antibodies reactive with whole cells of all four species were detected within the first month after birth, even though S. mutans and E. faecalis were not recovered from the mouths of the infants during the study period. Although there was a fivefold increase in the concentration of SIgA between birth and age 2 years, there were no differences between the concentrations of SIgA1 and SIgA2 antibodies reactive with the four species over this time period. When the concentrations of SIgA1 and SIgA2 antibodies reactive with all four species were normalized to the concentrations of SIgA1 and SIgA2 in saliva, SIgA1 and SIgA2 antibodies reactive with these bacteria showed a significant decrease from birth to 2 years of age. Adsorption of each infant's saliva with cells of one species produced a dramatic reduction of antibodies recognizing the other three species. Sequential adsorption of saliva samples removed all SIgA antibody to the bacteria, indicating that the SIgA antibodies were directed to antigens shared by all four species. The induction by the host of a limited immune response to common antigens that are likely not involved in adherence may be among the mechanisms that commensal streptococci employ to persist in the oral cavity.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Med Dent Bldg., Rm. S.E. 308A, 3900 Reservoir Rd., N.W., Washington, DC 20007. Phone: (202) 687-1817. Fax: (202) 687-4973. E-mail: colem{at}gunet.georgetown.edu.

Infection and Immunity, April 1999, p. 1878-1886, Vol. 67, No. 4
0019-9567/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Nogueira, R. D., King, W. F., Gunda, G., Culshaw, S., Taubman, M. A., Mattos-Graner, R. O., Smith, D. J. (2008). Mutans Streptococcal Infection Induces Salivary Antibody to Virulence Proteins and Associated Functional Domains. Infect. Immun. 76: 3606-3613 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Nogueira, R. D., Alves, A. C., King, W. F., Goncalves, R. B., Hofling, J. F., Smith, D. J., Mattos-Graner, R. O. (2007). Age-Specific Salivary Immunoglobulin A Response to Streptococcus mutans GbpB. CVI 14: 804-807 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kirchherr, J. L., Bowden, G. H., Richmond, D. A., Sheridan, M. J., Wirth, K. A., Cole, M. F. (2005). Clonal Diversity and Turnover of Streptococcus mitis bv. 1 on Shedding and Nonshedding Oral Surfaces of Human Infants during the First Year of Life. CVI 12: 1184-1190 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hufnagel, M., Kropec, A., Theilacker, C., Huebner, J. (2005). Naturally Acquired Antibodies against Four Enterococcus faecalis Capsular Polysaccharides in Healthy Human Sera. CVI 12: 930-934 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Cole, M. F., Evans, M. K., Kirchherr, J. L., Sheridan, M. J., Bowden, G. H. W. (2004). Study of Humoral Immunity to Commensal Oral Bacteria in Human Infants Demonstrates the Presence of Secretory Immunoglobulin A Antibodies Reactive with Actinomyces naeslundii Genospecies 1 and 2 Ribotypes. CVI 11: 473-482 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Meek, B., Back, J. W., Klaren, V. N. A., Speijer, D., Peek, R. (2002). Conserved regions of protein disulfide isomerase are targeted by natural IgA antibodies in humans. Int Immunol 14: 1291-1301 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Robinson, K., Neal, K. R., Howard, C., Stockton, J., Atkinson, K., Scarth, E., Moran, J., Robins, A., Todd, I., Kaczmarski, E., Gray, S., Muscat, I., Slack, R., Ala'Aldeen, D. A. A. (2002). Characterization of Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses Elicited by Meningococcal Carriage. Infect. Immun. 70: 1301-1309 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Chia, J.-S., You, C.-M., Hu, C.-Y., Chiang, B.-L., Chen, J.-Y. (2001). Human T-Cell Responses to the Glucosyltransferases of Streptococcus mutans. CVI 8: 441-445 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»