TABLE 3.
Relationship between natural salivary IgA antibodies to mutans streptococci and the presence of active caries lesions
| No. of subjects in study group (age [yr]) | Sample | Antigens of mutans streptococci in immunoassay (serotype) | Correlation of salivary IgA antibodies with caries activitya | Protection against caries | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 (20–30) | Whole saliva | Lipoteichoic acid | − | Yes | 38 |
| 53 (3–14) | Whole saliva | Whole cells (c), glucan, lipoteichoic acid | − | Yes | 39 |
| 42 (22–39) | Whole and parotid saliva | Whole cells (c), antigen I/II, carbohydrate (c) | − | Yes | 72 |
| 59 (22–32) | Whole saliva | Whole cells (c) | − | Yes | 491 |
| 96 (18–24) | Parotid saliva | Whole cells (c) | − | No | 75 |
| 55 (18–20) | Parotid saliva | Whole cells (b, c) | + | No | 202 |
| 79 (mothers) | Whole saliva | Whole cells (c) | No | No | 10 |
| 50 (19–21) | Whole saliva | Whole cells (c) | No | No | 169 |
| 67 (4–9) | Whole saliva | Whole cells (c) | No | No | 1 |
a
Negative (−), positive (+), or no correlation.