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Antimicrobial factors in whole saliva of human infants
Insights
Saliva’s antimicrobial defenses in young children are mostly developed, except for antibody systems. Non-immunoglobulin antimicrobial factors in children’s saliva reach adult levels early in childhood.
Area of Science:
- Oral biology
- Immunology
- Pediatric health
Background:
- Salivary antimicrobial factors are crucial for oral health.
- Understanding the development of these factors in early childhood is important for assessing oral disease risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze and compare antimicrobial factors in the whole saliva of young children (0.8–3.8 years) with adult reference values.
- To investigate the influence of child behavior during sample collection on salivary composition.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of whole saliva samples from 31 children aged 0.8–3.8 years.
- Comparison of levels of various antimicrobial factors (lysozyme, peroxidase, immunoglobulins, lactoferrin, etc.) with adult values.
- Assessment of the impact of child's behavior (crying, restlessness) on sample composition.
Main Results:
- Children had similar levels of lysozyme, salivary peroxidase, and hypothiocyanite (OSCN-) compared to adults.
- Significantly lower levels of immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM), lactoferrin, myeloperoxidase, thiocyanate (SCN-), amylase, and protein were found in children.
- Restless or crying children showed higher levels of most factors due to contamination with nasal/lacrimal secretions.
Conclusions:
- Non-immunoglobulin antimicrobial saliva systems, except lactoferrin and myeloperoxidase, appear to reach adult levels in early childhood.
- Protective antibody systems in saliva remain immature in young children.
- Saliva collection methodology is critical for accurate assessment in pediatric studies.
Abstract:
Antimicrobial factors were analyzed in samples of whole saliva from 31 children, aged 0.8 to 3.8 years. When compared with the adult reference group, the children displayed similar levels of lysozyme, salivary peroxidase, and hypothiocyanite (OSCN-), whereas the amounts of immunoglobulins (isotypes A, G, and M), lactoferrin, myeloperoxidase, thiocyanate (SCN-), amylase, and protein were significantly lower than the adult values. The child's behavior during the collection period noticeably influenced the composition of the saliva. Children who were restless and crying during the collection had significantly more immunoglobulins, lysozyme, lactoferrin, salivary peroxidase, myeloperoxidase, and protein in their saliva samples, obviously due to the contamination of saliva mixed with nasal or lacrimal secretions. Therefore, the normal values for saliva could be determined for the noncrying children only. These salivary defense systems did not show any relation to the length of breast-feeding or to the previous history of antibiotic treatment. Thus, with the exception of lactoferrin and myeloperoxidase, the nonimmunoglobulin antimicrobial saliva systems studied here seem to be already at the adult level during early childhood, when the protective antibody systems are still immature.