muramidase and hypothiocyanite-ion

Innate human salivary defence proteins, lysozyme, lactoferrin and peroxidase, are known to exert a wide antimicrobial activity against a number of bacterial, viral and fungal pathogens in vitro. Therefore, these proteins, alone or in combinations, have been incorporated as preservatives in foods and pharmaceuticals as well as in oral health care products to restore salivas' own antimicrobial capacity in patients with dry mouth. These antimicrobials used in oral health care products, such as dentifrices, mouth-rinses, moisturizing gels and chewing gums, have been purified from bovine colostrum. In this review I critically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of this kind of preventive approach against various oral diseases and symptoms.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Infective Agents, Local; Bacteria; Cattle; Colostrum; Complex Mixtures; Dentifrices; Drug Combinations; Drug Design; Female; Glucose Oxidase; Humans; Lactoferrin; Lactoperoxidase; Mouthwashes; Muramidase; Polymers; Pregnancy; Proteins; Saliva, Artificial; Salivary Proteins and Peptides; Thiocyanates; Xerostomia

In order to study the role of tonsils in the host defense in the oral region one pre- and two postoperative (1 and 6 months) whole saliva samples were collected from 25 young adults referred for tonsillectomy. Saliva samples were analyzed for selected host defense factors, representing both immune (total IgA, IgG, IgM, anti-Streptococcus mutans, anti-EBV, anti-CMV, and anti-adenovirus IgA and IgG) and nonimmunoglobulin (lysozyme, lactoferrin, salivary peroxidases, thiocyanate, hypothiocyanite, and agglutinins) mediators. Following tonsillectomy, a significant (P < 0.04) reduction was observed in specific IgG antibodies, suggesting that tonsils participate in local IgG response to oral antigens. Total IgM levels also decreased (P< 0.006), which may to some extent reflect reduced antigenic stimuli compared to preoperative status with frequent tonsillitis. Saliva-derived nonimmunoglobulin host defense factors, except lactoferrin, which declined significantly, remained normal throughout the study period. Our study indicates that tonsils play a role in local oral IgG-mediated immune response but tonsillectomy does not seem to lead to any significant long-term impairment of salivary defense capacity.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Agglutinins; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antibodies, Bacterial; Female; Humans; Immunoglobulins; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Muramidase; Peroxidase; Postoperative Period; Saliva; Streptococcus mutans; Thiocyanates; Tonsillectomy

This study evaluates the effects of two oral hygiene products containing nonimmunoglobulin antimicrobial agents on whole saliva and on subjective oral symptoms in patients with xerostomia. Twenty patients used a lactoperoxidase-system-containing toothpaste (Biotene) combined with the use of a mouthrinse (Biotene), comprising also lysozyme and lactoferrin, for 4 weeks. Saliva samples were collected at base line, after 4 weeks' use of the products, and at the end of a 4-week washout period. Samples were analyzed for selected biochemical and microbiologic factors. The effects on subjective oral symptoms were also recorded. A 4-week daily use of toothpaste and mouthrinse relieved the symptoms of oral dryness in 16 patients. The levels of salivary hypothiocyanite, lysozyme, lactoferrin, or myeloperoxidase activity did not change, but there was a significant decrease in salivary pH (P < 0.05), total peroxidase activity (P < 0.05), and total protein content (P = 0.01). In patients with the lowest salivary flow rates (n = 5) a significant (P > or = 0.04) increase was detected in salivary hypothiocyanite concentrations. No major changes occurred in salivary microflora. The products relieved subjective oral symptoms in most xerostomic patients, but this was not necessarily related to the presence of antimicrobial agents.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Anti-Infective Agents, Local; Bacteria, Anaerobic; Candida; Colony Count, Microbial; Dentifrices; Female; Humans; Hydrogen Peroxide; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Lactoferrin; Lactoperoxidase; Male; Middle Aged; Mouthwashes; Muramidase; Palliative Care; Peroxidases; Saliva; Salivary Proteins and Peptides; Thiocyanates; Xerostomia

Previous studies of the possible associations of salivary antimicrobial agents with dental caries have given controversial results, obviously mainly because almost all studies have been cross-sectional. Our aim was to find out, in a two-year longitudinal follow-up study, the associations among selected salivary non-immune and immune antimicrobial variables, cariogenic bacteria, and caries increment. The study population was comprised of 63 subjects, all of whom had their 13th birthday during the first study year. In addition to a comprehensive dental examination at baseline and after 2 yrs, paraffin-stimulated whole saliva samples were collected in a standardized way at six-month intervals. Saliva samples were analyzed for flow rate, buffer effect, lysozyme, lactoferrin, total peroxidase activity, hypothiocyanite, thiocyanate, agglutination rate, and total and specific anti-S. mutans IgA and IgG, as well as for numbers of total and mutans streptococci, lactobacilli, and total anaerobic bacteria. Cluster analysis and Spearman-Rank correlation coefficients were used to explore possible associations between and among the studied variables. During the two-year period, a statistically significant increase was observed in flow rate, thiocyanate, agglutination rate, anti-S. mutans IgA antibodies, lactobacilli, and total anaerobes, whereas lysozyme, lactoferrin, and total and anti-S. mutans IgG antibodies declined significantly. Based on various analyses, it can be concluded that, at baseline, total IgG and hypothiocyanite had an inverse relationship with subsequent two-year caries increment, anti-S. mutans IgG antibodies increased with caries development, and mutans streptococci and lactobacilli correlated positively with both baseline caries and caries increment. Total anaerobic microflora was consistently more abundant among caries-free individuals. In spite of the above associations, we conclude that none of the single antimicrobial agents as such has sufficiently strong power to have diagnostic significance in vivo with respect to future caries.

Topics: Adolescent; Agglutination; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antibodies, Bacterial; Bacteria, Anaerobic; Buffers; Child; Cluster Analysis; Cohort Studies; Colony Count, Microbial; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental Caries; DMF Index; Female; Finland; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Immunoglobulin A, Secretory; Immunoglobulin G; Lactobacillus; Lactoferrin; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Muramidase; Peroxidases; Saliva; Secretory Rate; Streptococcus mutans; Thiocyanates

Delmopinol is a new surface-active agent which can reduce plaque formation and gingivitis. This study was aimed to analyze whether delmopinol (0.0032-0.65 mM) interferes with the activity of two surface-active oral antimicrobial enzymes, salivary peroxidase and lysozyme. In addition to human whole saliva (pH 5.0 and 6.0), the experiments were done in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 6.0) with purified lactoperoxidase (LPO) and myeloperoxidase (MPO). LPO and MPO were significantly inhibited in buffer by delmopinol concentrations > 6.5 mM and > or = 3.2 mM, respectively. No such inhibition was found for total peroxidase activity in mixed saliva. In vitro, delmopinol was found to desorb surface-bound peroxidases in an active form to the liquid phase. In further analyses, the possible effect of delmopinol on peroxidase-generated hypothiocyanite (HOSCN/OSCN-) was studied in saliva and buffer. No effect was found in buffer, but salivary HOSCN/OSCN- declined significantly with 6.5 mM delmopinol. This was obviously due to an enhanced decay of hypothiocyanite, rather than its reduced rate of formation. No delmopinol-related inhibition of lysozyme occurred in saliva or buffer. The results suggest that high concentration (6.4 mM -0.2%) of delmopinol may lower the concentrations of antimicrobial HOSCN/OSCN- in saliva but has no effect on human lysozyme.

Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Buffers; Enzyme Inhibitors; Humans; Lactoperoxidase; Morpholines; Muramidase; Peroxidase; Peroxidases; Saliva; Salivary Proteins and Peptides; Surface-Active Agents; Thiocyanates

Many studies have attempted to relate levels of antimicrobial proteins in saliva to oral health; results have been inconsistent, and one reason might be inconsistency of measures of plaque and saliva within subjects. This study investigated associations between plaque and salivary variables in longitudinal data. Whole saliva, and 8-h plaque pooled from buccal first permanent molars, was obtained from 32 dental students on Tuesdays from 3:00-6:00 p.m. over 4 weeks. Salivary flow rate was determined, and samples were assayed for lysozyme, lactoferrin, total peroxidase, myeloperoxidase, OSCN-, sIgA and total protein. Colonies on mitis-salivarius agar were assigned to Streptococcus sanguis, Strep. mutans or Strep. salivarius on the basis of morphology, supplemented by the API Rapid Strep identification system. Consistency of values within subjects across weeks was evaluated by repeat-measures analysis of variance and intraclass correlation; data were transformed to reduce skewness. Pearson's r was used to determine associations between plaque and salivary variables. Significant intraclass correlations (alpha = 0.05) were found for all salivary variables except myeloperoxidase, and for total flora, total streptococci, Strep. sanguis and Strep. sanguis as a proportion of total streptococci. Significant Pearson correlations with Strep. sanguis as a proportion of total streptococci were found for total protein (r = -0.24), sIgA (r = -0.22), lactoferrin (r = -0.19) and OSCN- (r = 0.20) when data from all weeks were pooled (n = 128). Strep. sanguis proportions tended to be low in subjects with high values for salivary proteins; the range of proportions was wider in subjects with low salivary values. These findings suggest some consistency of weekly values for many plaque and salivary variables. They also support previous cross-sectional data which suggested that salivary antimicrobial proteins may have some effect on plaque composition. This study was made before recent revisions in streptococcal taxonomy, and further research is needed to clarify interactions of salivary proteins with currently defined species.

Topics: Bacteria; Circadian Rhythm; Colony Count, Microbial; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental Plaque; Female; Humans; Immunoglobulin A, Secretory; Lactoferrin; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Muramidase; Peroxidase; Peroxidases; Saliva; Salivary Proteins and Peptides; Secretory Rate; Streptococcus; Streptococcus mutans; Streptococcus sanguis; Thiocyanates

Resting and stimulated whole saliva was collected from 94 children aged 12-14 years and analyzed for thiocyanate, hypothiocyanite, 'free' and 'total' lysozyme, lactoferrin and secretory IgA. Clinical assessments of the amounts of plaque and gingival inflammation were made, and plaque was collected for determination of dry weight. An inverse relationship was observed between salivary thiocyanate concentrations in both resting and stimulated saliva and the amounts of plaque and gingival inflammation in these subjects (p < 0.05). Lactoferrin concentration in stimulated saliva was directly related to the amounts of plaque and gingivitis (p < 0.05). 'Total' lysozyme concentration in stimulated saliva was directly related to the amount of plaque (p < 0.05), and the 'free' lysozyme concentration in the same saliva was directly related to the amount of gingivitis (p < 0.05). The direct relationship observed between clinical measurements and both lysozyme and lactoferrin concentrations in saliva may have been due to contributions from gingival crevicular fluid. Cluster analysis identified three groups of subjects with different profiles in resting whole saliva, and in particular with different levels of secretory IgA. A statistically significant difference was observed in the quantity of plaque collected from subjects in two of these groups (p < 0.05). These results from cluster analysis using resting whole saliva from children confirmed the findings of a previous study with young adults.

Topics: Adolescent; Child; Cluster Analysis; Dental Plaque; Gingivitis; Humans; Immunoglobulin A, Secretory; Lactoferrin; Multivariate Analysis; Muramidase; Saliva; Salivary Proteins and Peptides; Secretory Rate; Thiocyanates

We have studied the possible relationship between indigenous salivary antimicrobial agents, indigenous mutans streptococci and the capability of added mutans streptococci to grow in saliva. Stimulated whole saliva was collected from 19 healthy donors. Saliva samples were sterilized, supplemented with glucose and inoculated with Streptococcus mutans or Streptococcus sobrinus. The mixtures were incubated for 20 h followed by counting of viable cells. Saliva samples were analysed, both before and after sterilization, for indigenous antimicrobial agents and the bacterial flora. The subjects could be divided into two groups: those (n = 9) whose saliva promoted and those (n = 10) whose saliva inhibited the growth of the inoculated streptococci. A statistically significant correlation (+0.82, p < 0.001) was found between the numbers of viable cells of S. mutans and S. sobrinus after incubation in saliva. The sterilization procedure reduced the content of all antimicrobial proteins. Salivary antimicrobial factors, or levels of indigenous mutans streptococci, did not differ between the two groups. We conclude that none of the individual salivary antimicrobial factors alone can explain the large individual differences in growth-promoting or growth-inhibiting patterns of saliva on S. mutans and S. sobrinus. Inter-individually, saliva either supports or inhibits the growth of mutans streptococci, indicating a similar response of these two species in relation to the properties of saliva.

Topics: Adult; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antibodies, Bacterial; Female; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Immunoglobulin A, Secretory; Immunoglobulin G; Lactoferrin; Male; Muramidase; Peroxidase; Peroxidases; Saliva; Sterilization; Streptococcus mutans; Streptococcus sobrinus; Thiocyanates

Samples of resting and stimulated whole saliva and stimulated parotid saliva were collected from 40 young adults. One week later, after 48 h on a standardized diet without oral hygiene, all available plaque was collected for dry weighing. An inverse relationship was found between the 'free' lysozyme concentration in stimulated parotid saliva and plaque dry weight (r = -0.46, p less than 0.01). There were no other statistically significant correlation coefficients between concentrations of individual salivary constituents and plaque dry weight. However, cluster analysis of constituents in resting whole saliva revealed three groups of subjects with different salivary profiles, and in particular with different concentrations of both IgA and hypothiocyanite. Subsequent analysis revealed differences in plaque dry weight between the groups, demonstrating the potential biological significance of cluster membership based on salivary factors.

Topics: Adult; Anti-Infective Agents; Dental Plaque; Female; Humans; Immunoglobulin A, Secretory; Lactoferrin; Male; Muramidase; Parotid Gland; Regression Analysis; Saliva; Salivary Proteins and Peptides; Secretory Rate; Thiocyanates; Time Factors

Antimicrobial agents (antibody and non-antibody) present in human saliva protect oral tissues by a variety of mechanisms, such as prevention of bacterial adhesion, agglutination of micro-organisms, and inhibition of multiplication and metabolism. However, studies in which the concentrations of various salivary antimicrobial agents have been correlated to the presence and severity of oral diseases--of dental caries, in particular--have produced controversial data, and it seems evident, also on the basis of the present study, that no single salivary antimicrobial factor (except flow rate) affects oral health to a significant degree. In the present study, we report the levels of some selected salivary antimicrobial agents in predentate and dentate human infants, with a comparison to the levels found in young adults' saliva. Salivary lysozyme, peroxidase, and hypothiocyanite concentrations were already at the adult level at the time when the primary teeth erupt, whereas immunoglobulin (IgA, IgG, and IgM), lactoferrin, myeloperoxidase, and thiocyanate concentrations were significantly lower in children than in adults. Dentate children had more IgG, thiocyanate, and protein in whole saliva than did predentate children.

Topics: Adult; Aging; Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; Child, Preschool; Humans; Immunoglobulin A, Secretory; Immunoglobulin G; Infant; Isoenzymes; Lactoferrin; Muramidase; Oral Health; Peroxidase; Peroxidases; Saliva; Salivary Proteins and Peptides; Thiocyanates; Tooth Eruption