Immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgG antibodies against Streptococcus mutans KlR and 10449 were measured in serum and in stimulated whole saliva from two groups of naval recruits, representing high or low caries susceptibility. The antibody assays were performed by using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the results were expressed by a method able to estimate the amount of high-avidity and total specific antibodies. As a control, concentrations of salivary total immunoglobulins were related to the amounts of specific antibodies. Further, antibodies were assayed against three antigens, unrelated to the streptococci. No clear differences were observed in serum antibodies between the subjects with high or low caries susceptibility. However, in saliva, low caries susceptibility was associated with a high amount of total antigen-specific IgA, and possibly IgG, against S. mutans. This difference between the groups still existed when the amounts of specific antibodies were related to the amounts of salivary immunoglobulins. There were no differences in the amounts of total specific antibodies against the unrelated antigens. No differences were observed in the estimates of high-avidity anti-S. mutans antibodies between the groups, either in serum or saliva. Thus, within the limitations of the assays and crude antigen, lack of high-avidity antibodies is not responsible for caries susceptibility. Instead, the amount of anti-S. mutans antibodies seems to be linked with caries protection. The results of the present study indicate that salivary antibodies are linked with the control of human dental caries.

When a patient develops reactive arthritis after Yersinia enteritis, the following conditions are often fulfilled: the patient is HLA-B27-positive; however, some B27-negative individuals develop severe arthritis and some positives do not, in the initial phase, the diarrhea is milder, the anti-Yersinia antibody response of IgG class is more vigorous and persists longer, the anti-Yersinia antibody response of IgA class is more vigorous and persists much longer, the anti-Yersinia antibodies of IgA1 and IgA2 subclass, those with J-chain and, especially, those with secretory piece are produced more vigorously, indicating local immunostimulation close to the intestinal epithelium, in the early phase, Yersinia-IgM immune complexes are found in the circulation, and the lymphocyte transformation response against not only Yersinia but also against other gram-negative enteric bacteria is weaker. When all these aspects are considered together a strong suspicion arises that the patients who are destined to develop reactive arthritis fail in their first line of defense against the invading organism when contracting a Yersinia enteritis. This may lead to persistence of the microorganism within the body, e.g., in the intestinal epithelium or in the mesenteric lymphoid tissues, maintaining a stimulus for a prolonged--apparently futile and perhaps harmful--antibody production. Finally, the initiating and decisive factor should not be forgotten: the Yersinia. Why and how it triggers the process is at present one of the enigmas of the pathogenesis of reactive arthritis.

A competitive time-resolved immunofluorometric assay sensitive and robust enough for quantifying human salivary carbonic anhydrase isoenzyme VI (HCA VI) was developed. The solid-phase immunoassay is based on competition between Eu(3+)-labeled HCA VI and salivary HCA VI for polyclonal rabbit anti-HCA VI antibodies that are attached to microtiter plate wells precoated with sheep anti-rabbit IgG. The subsequent immunoassay including the separation of free and bound HCA VI requires only one incubation step, after which the Eu3+ of the bound labeled antigen is released into an enhancement solution. The highly fluorescent Eu chelates formed in this solution are then quantified by time-resolved fluorometry (Delfia). The time-resolution principle effectively obviates possible interferences from complex biological material such as saliva. The assay detection limit was 1.5 micrograms/L. Intra- and interassay imprecisions (CVs) were 5.1% and 5.3%, respectively. The mean analytical recovery was 93%. The mean +/- SD concentration of HCA VI in paraffin-stimulated saliva was 6.8 +/- 4.3 mg/L (n = 30) and the secretion rate was 10.2 +/- 7.9 micrograms/min. The method was useful for further investigations of the role of HCA VI in difficult matrices, e.g., saliva.

Elementary bodies of lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) strains of Chlamydia trachomatis contain, in addition to the genomic DNA, a 6.7 kb plasmid. The plasmid from serovar L2 (434-B) was cloned at the BamHI site of pBR327 into Escherichia coli and a restriction cleavage map of this pLGV125 recombinant plasmid determined. All 15 C. trachomatis serovars contained DNA sequences that hybridized with pLGV125. When total DNA from L2 elementary bodies was used as a probe in Southern blotting and spot hybridization, serovars L1, L2 and L3 exhibited significant homology. The detection level of homologous DNA was 100 pg and LGV DNA was detectable in infected cells when total L2 probe was used in the nucleic acid hybridization test. These DNA probes may be useful as investigative and diagnostic reagents for C. trachomatis.

Summary. Human IgM, IgG and IgA responses after infection with Yersinia enterocolitica serovar 0 3 were studied by immunoblotting sera against whole-cell homogenates of a plasmid-containing strain of Y. enterocolitica 0 3 and a plasmid-free strain derived from it ; each strain was grown in conditions expressive for the plasmid. The antibodies observed were directed against several plasmid-encoded polypeptides. The response against different bacterial components decreased uniformly with time and the persisting antibody production was directed against several epitopes. Strong reactions to the prominent plasmid-specified antigens of mol. wts ( lo3) 26,34,45 and 52.5 were found more often with IgG-class antibodies than with IgM or IgA; the latter immunoglobulins recognised, respectively, antigens of mol. wt ( lo3) 26 and 45 (IgM) and 26,34 and 52.5 (IgA). Immunoblotting of sera from patients with yersiniatriggered reactive arthritis did not reveal any antigens that were involved additionally or specifically. However, IgA-mediated recognition of certain antigens of mol. wts ( lo3) 26,34 and 52-5 tended to persist longer in the arthritic patients.