[mimimomo]

More Specific Information
Saliva is a source of body fluid for detection of an immune response to bacterial, food, and other antigens present in the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract. Indeed, salivary antibody induction has been widely used as a model system to study secretory responses to ingested material, primarily because saliva is an easy secretion to collect and analyze. It seems to be a general feature that salivary IgA antibodies can be induced in a variety of species in the absence of serum antibodies. This has been demonstrated after immunization with particulate bacterial antigens in humans that could selectively induce an immune response to Streptococcus mutans by oral administration of the antigen. This route of administration resulted only in antibody production in saliva and not in serum. Similar mucosal immune response in the form of saliva IgA did occur in monkeys, rabbits, rats, and mice after oral administration of Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus or different viral antigens and peptides.


References
Kiyono H, Kweon M N, Hiroi T, Takahashi I. The mucosal immune system: from specialized immune defense to inflammation and allergy. Acta Odntol Scand 59:145, 2001.

Kanda M, Inove H, Fukuizumi T, Tsujisawa T, Tominaga K, Fukuda J. Detection and rapid increase of salivary antibodies to Staphylococcus lentus and indigenous bacterium in rabbit saliva, through a single tonsillar, Application of bacterial cells. Oral Microbiol Immunol 16:257, 2001.

Zee K Y, Samaranayake L P, Attstrom R. Salivary Immunoglobulin A levels in rapid and slow plaque formers: A pilot study. Microbio S 106 Suppl 2:81, 2001.

Plante M, Jones T, Allard F, Torossian K, Gauthier J, St-Felix N, White G L, Lowell G H, Burt D S. Nasal immunization with subunit proteosome influenza vaccines induces serum HAI, mucosal IgA and protection against influenza challenge. Vaccine 20:218, 2002.

Kraft S C, Rothbert R M, Kramer C M. Gastric output and circulating anti-BSA in adults. Clin and Exp Immuno 2:321-326, 1967.

Kagnoff M F. Effects of antigen feeding on intestinal and systemic immune responses. I. Priming of precursor cytotoxic T-cells by antigen feeding. J Immunol 120:395-399, 1978.

Challacombe S J, The induction of secretory IgA responses in: food allergy and intolerance edited by Brostoff J, Challacombe S J, published by W. B. Sanders Eastborne England, 1987.

Davies A. An investigation in to the serological properties of dysentery stools. Lancet 203:1009-1012, 1922.

Montrien B de, Serre. Etudes des immunoglobulins salivaires aptes vaccination locale antistreptococcique. Pathol Biol (Paris) 22:305-312, 1974.

McGhee J R, Michalek S M, Webb J et al., Effective immunity to dental caries: protection of gnotobiotic rats by local immunization with Streptococcus mutants. J Immuno 114:300-305, 1975.

Krasse B, Gahnberg L, Bratthall D. Antibodies reacting with Streptococcus mutants in secretion from minor salivary glands in humans. Adv Exp Med Biol 107:349-354, 1978.

Husband A M, Gowens J L. The origin and antigen-dependent distribution of IgA containing cells in the intestine. J Exp Med 148:1146-1160, 1978.

Mesenteric J, McGhee J R, Arnold R R. Selective induction of an immune response in external secretions by ingestion of bacterial antigen. J Clin Invest 61:731-737, 1978.

Walker W A, Isselbacher K J. Intestinal antibodies. New Engl J Med 297:767-773, 1977.