We determined the free-amino acid content of stimulated parotid (ductal) saliva from two groups of adult subjects whose caries experiences were markedly different. The levels of free arginine and free lysine in the parotid saliva of caries-free adults were significantly higher than those found in the parotid saliva of individuals with a history of dental decay. There was no correlation, however, between the levels of these amino acids and the DMFS score within the caries-susceptible groups. Microbial catabolism of dibasic amino acids contributes to the neutralization of plaque acids and may partially account for the higher resting plaque pH observed in caries-free subjects. Alternatively, the elevations observed in free levels of arginine and lysine may reflect a systemic alteration in amino acid metabolism which is common to the caries-free group of subjects.
Abelson DC, Mandel ID (1981). The effect of saliva on plaque pH in vivo. J Dent Res60:1634-1638.
2.
Bohannan HM, Klein SP, Disney JA, Bell RM, Graves RC, Foch CB ( 1985). A summary of the results of the National Preventive Dentistry Demonstration Program. Can Dent Assoc J51:435-441.
3.
Conover WJ (1980). Practical nonparametric statistics. 2nd ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
4.
Curby WA (1953) Device for collection of human parotid saliva. J Lab Clin Med41:493-496.
5.
Dawes C. (1972). Circadian rhythms in human salivary flow rate and composition. J Physiol (London) 220:529-540.
6.
Englander HR, Carter WJ, Fosdick LS (1956). The formation of lactic acid in dental plaques. III. Caries-immune individuals. J Dent Res35:792-799.
7.
Giebel W., Streibel H-M., Breuninger H. (1982). Biochemische analyse freier aminosauren im menschlichen parotisspeichel. Laryng Rhinol Otol61:70-74.
8.
Higham SM, Edgar WM (1989). Human dental plaque pH, and the organic acid and acid profiles in plaque fluid, after sucrose rinsing. Arch Oral Biol34:329-334.
9.
Ingelfinger JA, Mosteller F., Thibodeau LA, Ware JH ( 1983). Biostatistics in clinical medicine. New York: Macmillan.
10.
Kleinberg I. (1967). Effect of urea concentration on human plaque pH levels in situ. Arch Oral Biol12:1475-1484.
11.
Kleinberg I., Jenkins GN (1964). The pH of dental plaques in the different areas of the mouth before and after meals and their relationship to the pH and rate of flow of resting saliva. Arch Oral Biol9:493-516.
12.
Leverett DH (1982). The effect of sugar solutions on pH of dental plaques from caries-susceptible and caries-free individuals. Science217:26-30.
13.
Leverett DH, Proskin HM, Featherstone JD, Adair SM, Eisenburg AD, Mundorf-Shrestha SA, et al. (1993). Caries risk assessment in a longitudinal discrimination study. J Dent Res72:538-543.
14.
Liappis VN, Hildenbrand G. (1982). Freie aminosauren im gesamtspeichel gesunder kiner einfluβ von karies. Zahn Mund Kieferheilkd70:829-835.
15.
Madapallimattam G., Bennick A. (1990). Phosphopeptides derived from human salivary acidic proline-rich proteins. Biological activities and concentration in saliva. Biochem J270: 297-304.
16.
Mandel ID, Zengo AN (1973). Genetic and chemical aspects of caries resistance . In: Comparative immunology of the oral cavity. Scherp H, editor. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, pp. 118-137.
17.
Margolis HC, Moreno EC (1992). Composition of pooled plaque fluid from caries-free and caries-positive individuals following sucrose exposure. J Dent Res71:1776-1784.
18.
Margolis HC, Duckworth JH, Moreno EC (1988). Composition of pooled resting plaque from caries-free and caries-susceptible individuals. J Dent Res67:1468-1475.
19.
Marquis RE, Burne RA, Parsons DT, Casiano-Colon AE (1993). Arginine deiminase alkali generation in plaque . In: Cariology for the Nineties. Bowen WH, Tabak LA, editors. Rochester: University of Rochester Press, pp. 310-317.
20.
McClure FJ (1957). Effect of lysine provided by different routes on cariogenicity of lysine deficient diet. Proc Soc Exp Med96:631-633.
21.
McClure FJ, Folk JE ( 1955). Lysine and cariogenicity of two experimental rat diets . Science122:557-558.
22.
Naini A., Mandel ID (1989). Plaque ammonia production in caries-resistant and caries-susceptible adults (abstract). J Dent Res68(Spec Iss):318.
23.
Perinpanayagam HER, VanWuyckhuyse BC, Ji Z-S., Tabak LA (1995). Characteristics of low molecular weight peptides in human parotid saliva. J Dent Res74:345-350.
24.
Radike AW (1972). Criteria for diagnosis of dental caries. In: Proceedings of the conference on clinical testing of cariostatic agents, 1968. Chicago, IL: American Dental Association, pp. 92-95.
25.
Rosen S., Weisenstein PR (1965). Causes and control of dental caries. J Dent Res44:845-849.
26.
Salako NO, Kleinberg I. (1989). Incidence of selected ureolytic bacteria in human dental plaque from sites with differing salivary access. Arch Oral Biol34:787-791.
27.
Schaffer CL, Leverett DH (1994). Longitudinal evaluation of dental utilization patterns of adults (abstract). J Dent Res73:142.
28.
Schaffer CL, Billings R., Bevacqua D., Montanarella M. (1994). Results of a school-based oral health monitoring program. Presented at the American Public Health Association Meeting, Washington DC. Am J Publ Health p. 132.
29.
Singer DL, Kleinberg I. (1983). The free amino acids in human dental plaque. Arch Oral Biol28:873-878.
30.
Sissons CH, Perinpanayagam HER, Hancock EM, Cutress TW (1990). pH regulation of urease levels in Streptococcus salivarius. J Dent Res69:1131-1137.
31.
Stephan RM (1944). Intra-oral hydrogen-ion concentrations associated with dental caries activity. J Dent Res23:257-266.
32.
Turtola LO, Luoma H. (1972). Sodium and potassium content of the extracellular phase of plaque modified by sucrose and bicarbonate-phosphate and fluoride . Scand J Dent Res80:334-343.
33.
Vranic L., Granic P., Rajic Z. (1991). Basic amino acid in the pathogenesis of caries . Acta Stomatol Croatica25:71-76.
34.
Vratsanos SM, Mandel ID (1982). Comparative plaque acidogenesis of caries-resistant vs. caries-susceptible adults. J Dent Res61:465-468.
35.
Vratsanos SM, Mandel ID (1985). Polyamines of dental plaque in caries-resistant vs. caries-susceptible adults. J Dent Res64:422-424.
36.
Vratsanos SM, Mandel ID (1986). Lyslarginine (lysare) as polyamini precursors in plaque (abstract). J Dent Res65(Spec Iss):340.
