Western Society of Periodontics

Laboratory Studies

Volume Number 2, 1995


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Oral immunization of humans with dehydrated liposomes containing Streptococcus mutans. Glucosyltransferase induces salivary immunoglobulin A2 antibody responses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of a dried liposome delivery system for its ability to potentiate the induction of a salivary IgA immune response to a virulence protein antigen of S. mutans in humans. Liposome-antigen vaccines have been shown to augment the protective immune response to oral S. mutans antigen in rats. This study shows that IgA increased from 60% to 575% in six of seven subjects, with peak concentrations occurring in 35 days and greatest in the subclass IgA2. [D.R.H.]

Childers, N.K., S.S. Zhang and S.M. Michalek, Oral Microbiol Immunol, 9:146, 1994