Malaysians of Malay, Chinese, and Indian ancestries were electrophoretically phenotyped for Amy1 and saliva esterase region 1 (Set-1) from saliva, Amy2 from plasma, soluble and mitochondrial GOT and PGM3 from leukocyte and placenta. Kadazans and Bajaus, the indigenous people of Sabah, East Malaysia were surveyed for Amy2. Three types of variants were observed for Amy1, one type for Amy2. Only Indians were found to be polymorphic for Amy1. Two GOTs 2-1 and three GOTm 2-1 variants were found among 281 Chinese while three GOTm 2-1 variants were found among 311 Malays. Malaysian Malays, Chinese, and Indians were found to be polymorphic for Set-1 and PGM3. The gene frequencies in Malays are Set-1F=0.601 +/- 0.021, Set-1S = 0.399 +/- 0.021; PGM13 = 0.788 +/- 0.020, PGM23 = 0.212 +/- 0.020; in Chinese Set-1F = 0.497 +/- 0.028, Set-1S = 0.503 +/- 0.028; PGM13 = 0.745 +/- 0.24, PGM23 = 0.255 +/- 0.024; in Indians, Set-1F = 0.449 +/- 0.031, Set-1S = 0.551 +/- 0.031; PGM13 = 0.755 +/- 0.029, PGM23 = 0.245 +/- 0.029.
A total of 640 Malaysians, 355 of Malay, 155 of Chinese, and 130 of Indian ancestries have been examined for saliva acid phosphatases. The three ethnic groups were polymorphic for saliva acid phosphatase A (Sap-A) and saliva acid phosphatase (B (Sap-B). The gene frequencies were: Sap-A, Malays: A = 0.469, A' = 0.001, A degrees = 0.530; Chinese: A = 0.436, A' = 0.010, A degrees = 0.555; Indians: A = 0.533, A' = 0.012, A degrees = 0.456. For Sap-B, Malays: B = 0.925, B degrees = 0.075; Chinese: B = 0.797, B1 = 0.016, B degrees = 0.187; Indians: B 0.752, B degrees = 0.248. Phenotype ABB1 is described.
The Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen I (EBNA I) is the only latent EBV antigen consistently expressed in malignant tissues of the nasopharynx. A 20-amino-acid synthetic peptide, p107 contains a major epitope of EBNA I. We tested sera from 210 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and from 128 normal individuals (NHS) for IgA antibodies to p107 using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Whereas 191/210 (91%) of NPC patients had IgA antibodies to p107, only 17/128 (13.3%) of NHS had such antibodies and only 6/57 (10.5%) of sera from patients with malignancies other than NPC had IgA-p107 reactivity. Thirty-nine salivary samples from 46 NPC patients (84.8%) also contained IgA-p107 antibodies whereas only 3/42 (7.1%) of normal saliva samples were IgA-p107 positive. The results suggest that IgA antibodies to EBNA I may become a useful, easily measurable, marker for NPC.
The anti-phospholipid antibody (aPL) in 26 heat-inactivated normal human sera (NHS) was tested for IgG subclass in ELISA. The specific antibody in NHS included all four IgG antibody subclasses, as well as IgA. The incidence of IgG subclasses ranged from 50% (13/26) for IgG1 to 92% (24/26) for IgG2. Specific IgA anti-phospholipid antibody (aPL) was detected by ELISA in 38% (28/73) of normal human saliva. The salivary IgA aPL bound preferentially to anionic phospholipids including cardiolipin, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidic acid but not to phosphatidylcholine or sphingomyelin. Unlike aPL in normal human sera, aPL in saliva was predominantly not associated with the previously described heat-labile inhibitor of aPL. This may indicate a role of salivary IgA aPL in local immunity by binding to cross-reactive bacterial cell surface components including phospholipids.
The concentrations of calcium, phosphate, protein and nitrite in whole unstimulated saliva, and the salivary flow rate under fasting conditions (saliva collected at least after 6 h without food and water) were compared with those under control conditions (saliva collected within 30 min to 1 h after food). The flow rate of fasting saliva was half that of control (0.098 ml/min vs 0.208 ml/min) and no significant differences in the flow rate were observed between sexes. The concentration of nitrite under fasting conditions was 50% higher than that in control saliva (p less than 0.05). The protein concentration was decreased, but not significantly, under fasting conditions. The composition of fasting saliva with regard to calcium and phosphate concentrations was comparable to that of the control. No significant variations in these components between sexes were observed under either condition.
Matched MeSH terms: Saliva/chemistry*; Salivary Proteins and Peptides/analysis
Human Herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infections are ubiquitous in human populations with an antibody prevalence of 30-85 percent in normal adults. The virus in vivo infects T-lympho-cytes, at various stages of differentiation and is cytopathic to host cell during productive infection. In culture the virus is pleiotropic for several established cell lines including T and B lymphocytes, macrophages and neural cells. Primary viral infection occurs mostly in early childhood. The saliva is the primary source of infection. The infection remains clinically silent in majority but it establishes a lifelong latent presence. However, in about 30 percent of infants, probably a varient HHV-6, causes exanthem subitum (roseola infantum). If the primary infection of HHV-6 is delayed until adolescence it is accompanied by clinical manifestation of an Epstein-Barr virus like infectious mononucleosis in some individuals. Depressed host immune functions may reactivate the latent HHV-6 infection and further aggravation of the primary disease. Since the virus is cytopathic to the host cell the presence of HHV-6 in AIDS patients and other lympholiferative disorders may increase the severity and pathogenicity of the primary disease. Antibodies to the HHV-6 are enhanced in autoimmune disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, progressive lymphoroliferative disorders and organ transplant patients on immunosuppressive drugs therapy. While considerable basic immunovirological information has been obtained in the last 4 years, large gaps in knowledge still exist on the biologic interaction of HHV-6 with the host.
The clinical applications of salivary cortisol measurements were evaluated by radioimmunoassay of time-matched saliva and plasma samples. Salivary cortisol levels of normal subjects exhibited a significant (p less than 0.001) diurnal variation with a mean (+/- SD) concentration of 8.7 +/- 4.8 nmol/L at 0800-1000 h and 2.4 +/- 1.1 nmol/l at 1500-1700 h. After an overnight dexamethasone suppression test, morning salivary cortisol levels decrease to 2.7 +/- 0.7 nmol/L (p less than 0.001 vs normal). An excellent correlation (r = 0.805) of cortisol measurements with time-matched saliva and plasma samples was obtained (y = 0.03x + 0.88, p less than 0.001, n = 91). Hypercortisolism was confirmed by raised salivary cortisols in only half of patients with elevated total plasma levels, thereby indicating that salivary cortisol measurements is a better index of adrenal status.
Fresh samples of human whole saliva containing approximately 20-40 micrograms protein were analyzed using SDS-polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis systems. More than 20 protein bands were revealed by Coomassie Brilliant Blue R 250 staining. Some of the protein bands were shown to be glycoprotein-positive with PAS (periodic acid-Schiff) reagent. The protein bands with alpha-Amylase activity appeared within a molecular weight range of 120,000-180,000, which is 2 to 2.8 times higher than the normal molecular weight reported for alpha-Amylase from parotid saliva, and showed positive staining with PAS reagent. These results show that the alpha-Amylase in whole saliva appears to exist in a macromolecular form which is not dissociated in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS).
Matched MeSH terms: Saliva/enzymology*; Salivary Proteins and Peptides/analysis*
The study was conducted to determine thiocyanate (SCN-) and hypothiocyanite (OSCN-) concentrations in resting (RWS) and stimulated whole saliva (SWS) and stimulated parotid saliva (SPS) of 20 healthy young adults aged 21-29 y. Samples of saliva were collected at 12:30, immediately before lunch. Resting saliva was collected by expectoration, and stimulated saliva was collected during the uniform chewing of paraffin wax. Parotid secretion was collected using a modified Carlsson-Crittenden cup (Carlsson et al., Am, J. Physiol., 26, 169-177, 1910). SCN- concentration was determined by the ferric nitrate method (Betts et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 75, 5721-5727, 1953) whilst OSCN- was assayed using 2-mercaptoethanol as a reducing agent (Pruitt et al., Caries Res., 16, 315-323, 1982). In RWS, SWS and SPS, the mean SCN- concentrations (in mM) were 1.48 +/- 0.59(S.D.), 0.90 +/- 0.56(S.D.) and 1.24 +/- 0.65(S.D.) whilst the mean OSCN- concentrations (in microM) were 31.21 +/- 13.54(S.D.), 24.90 +/- 12.61 and 30.19 +/- 23.35(S.D.) in the respective salivas. The presence of OSCN- in the secretion collected from the parotid gland supported previous findings by Tenovuo and Pruitt (Tenovuo et al., J. Oral Path, ol. 13, 573-584, 1984), who suggested an endogenous glandular (eukaryotic) source of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), since parotid saliva from healthy glands is devoid of bacteria and leukocytes.
Samples of stimulated whole saliva were obtained from ninety-four 12-14-year-old school children living in inner London to evaluate if there was a correlation between Streptococcus mutans counts in saliva with plaque amount, gingival inflammation and caries experience. S. mutans counts were obtained by a dip-slide method (Dentocult 'Strip Mutans') in which the count was expressed as 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 based on visual estimation of the colony density. There was no association between counts' of S. mutans in saliva with plaque amount and gingival inflammation. However, there was a significant trend of increased decayed, missing, filled surfaces (DMFS) with increasing S. mutans counts.
The prevalence and cellular distribution of human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) in archival labial salivary glands was analysed for virus-specific DNA sequences by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and in situ hybridization signals. In addition, the cellular expression of HHV-7-encoded protein was detected by immunohistochemical staining with a virus-specific monoclonal antibody. Eleven of 20 samples were positive for the HHV-7 DNA sequence by PCR. Eighteen of 20 tissues analysed by in situ hybridization showed signals in ductal, serous and mucous cells. Some nuclei of these cells and also the myoepithelial population were positive. In immunolocalization studies, all 20 salivary glands consistently showed HHV-7-expressed protein in the cytoplasm of ductal cuboidal and columnar cells. The protein was also found in the cytoplasm of mucous and serous acinar cells that were immunopositive for HHV-7. The observations are consistent with the suggestion that the labial salivary gland is a site for virus replication, potential persistence and a source of infective HHV-7 in saliva.
Human saliva contains a large number of proteins which can be separated using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). In this study the protein profiles of whole saliva of diabetic and non-diabetic were compared. Considerable variations between individuals in the protein profiles were observed. The saliva from diabetic patients appeared to have more of proline-rich protein bands in the molecular weight region below 56 KOa. Further investigations using individual gland saliva should be carried out.
Saliva collection is non-invasive and less stressful when compared with blood collection. Extensive studies on saliva has been carried out and the use of saliva as a biological sample in clinical diagnosis and for monitoring hormones, drugs and pollutants and viruses has been recommended. The complexities associated with saliva such as proper collection device and strict standardisation of a number of factors which include time of collection, types of saliva and storage made it less favourable to blood.
To investigate the suitability of an SCMC (sodium carboxymethyl cellulose/polyethylene glycol 400/carbopol 934P) and an HPMC (hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose/polyethylene glycol 400/carbopol 934P) films as drug vehicle for buccal delivery.