HOST DEFENSE FACTORS IN ORAL ECOLOGY

唾液中含有大量具有抗菌作用的蛋白质。 体外活性。这些物质包括溶菌酶(LZ)、乳铁蛋白(LF)、 唾液过氧化物酶(Spx)、分泌性免疫球蛋白A(SIgA)、 粘蛋白糖蛋白(MG1和MG2)，以及其他鲜为人知的蛋白质。 链球菌种的菌株对 这些蛋白质的作用，以及它们在口腔生态学中的作用尚不清楚 安全。对先前研究的解释因最近的研究而复杂化 一项研究表明，抗菌蛋白可能相互作用 最近的一项研究表明，抗菌蛋白 可以在一个共同的系统中相互作用以进行宿主防御。互动 可能是协同的，也可能是拮抗的，并且看起来不同 所涉及的蛋白质浓度。这些发现直接 对体内防御因子效应研究的启示。 以前的临床研究主要集中在单一蛋白质上，而且 结果一直没有定论。其中一个原因可能是互动 在防御系统组件之间。一种多蛋白质 因此，可能需要采取这种方法。重要的第一步是 描述寄主因子浓度可 在整个人口中一起变化。正在进行的研究由 首席调查员使用多元统计方法 在大量的学生样本中解决这个问题。那些方法 允许识别具有相似特征的受试组 LZ、LF、Spx、SIgA和(在附近)的浓度分布 未来)MG1和MG2。这样的群体提供了比较的基础 可能表现出明显和不同模式的人的 互动。 本项目将在两个项目的背景下应用该方法 工作中的假设。第一个是宿主防御因素可能 对牙菌斑的成分产生选择性作用。这个 第二，宿主防御因素可能有助于监管 斑块的代谢活动。不同国家之间的差异影响 这些变量的主机因素构成将由以下人员调查 比较属于极高或极高组的受试者 一种或多种抗菌蛋白质的低值。限制 核酸内切酶、染色体DNA指纹等 分子技术将被用来表征和比较 受试者之间的链球菌菌群(见微生物学 项目A1)。将使用微电极方法来 比较受试者斑块之间的产酸曲线(请参见 微生物部分，项目A8)。获得的信息将 用于根据具体情况重新转换工作假设 研究问题。旨在解决这些问题的设计 应该对理解主人的作用有很大的帮助 防御因素是口语人与人之间差异的决定因素 生态学。

Saliva contains a number of proteins which display antinicrobial activity in vitro. These include lysozyme (Lz), lactoferrin (Lf), salivary peroxidase (Spx), secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), the mucin glycoproteins (MG1 and MG2), and others less well known. Strains of streptococcal species vary greatly in susceptibility to effects of these proteins, and their role in oral ecology is not yet clear. Interpretation of previous studies is complicated by recent research which suggests that antimicrobial proteins may interact in a recent research which suggests that antimicrobial proteins may interact in a common system for host defense. Interactions may be synergistic or antagonistic, and appear to vary with concentrations of proteins involved. Those findings have direct implications for investigations of defense factor effects in vivo. Previous clinical studies have focused on single proteins, and results have been inconclusive. One reason might be interaction between defense system components. A multiple protein approach thus may be needed. An important first step is description of the ways in which host factor concentrations may vary together in the population at large. Ongoing research by the principal investigator employs multivariate statistical methods to address this problem in a large student sample. Those methods allow identification of groups of subjects with similar concentration profiles for Lz, Lf, Spx, sIgA, and (in the near future) MG1 and MG2. Such groups provide a basis for comparison of persons likely to display distinct and different patterns of interaction. This project will apply that approach in the context of two working hypotheses. The first is that host defense factors may exert selective effects on the composition of dental plaque. The second is that host defense factors may contribute to regulation of the metabolic activity of plaque. The effect of differences in host factor composition on these variables will be investigated by comparing subjects belonging to groups with extremely high or low values for one or more antimicrobial proteins. Restriction endonuclease chromosomal DNA fingerprinting and other molecular techniques will be used to characterize and compare streptococcal floras between subjects (see Microbiology component, Project A1). Microelectrode methods will be used to compare acid production curves between subject plaques (see Microbiology component, Project A8). Information obtained will be used to re-cast working hypotheses in terms of specific research questions. Designs devised to address those questions should contribute greatly to understanding of the role of host defense factors as determinants of interperson differences in oral ecology.