HOST DEFENSE FACTORS IN ORAL ECOLOGY

唾液中含有大量的蛋白质， 体外活性。 这些包括溶菌酶（Lz），乳铁蛋白（Lf）， 唾液过氧化物酶（Spx）、分泌型免疫球蛋白A（sIgA）、 粘蛋白糖蛋白（MG 1和MG 2），以及其他不太为人所知的。 链球菌种的菌株在对 这些蛋白质的作用，以及它们在口腔生态学中的作用还没有 清楚 对以前研究的解释因最近的 一项研究表明，抗菌蛋白可能与 最近的一项研究表明， 可以在一个共同的系统中相互作用，以进行主机防御。 相互作用 可能是协同的或拮抗的，并且似乎随 涉及的蛋白质浓度。这些发现直接 研究防御因子在体内的作用。 以前的临床研究主要集中在单一蛋白质上， 结果尚未确定。 原因之一可能是互动 防御系统组件之间的联系 一种复合蛋白质 因此，可能需要一种方法。 重要的第一步是 描述宿主因子浓度可能 在总体上是不同的。 正在进行的研究， 主要研究者采用多元统计方法， 在一个大的学生样本中解决这个问题。 那些方法 允许识别具有相似性的受试者组 Lz、Lf、Spx、sIgA和（近 MG 1和MG 2。 这些群体提供了比较的基础 的人可能会显示不同的和不同的模式， 互动 本项目将在两个方面应用这种方法， 工作假设 首先，宿主防御因素可能 对牙菌斑的组成产生选择性作用。 的 第二，宿主防御因素可能有助于调节 的代谢活动。 差异的影响 将通过以下方式研究宿主因素对这些变量的影响 比较属于极高或极低风险群体的受试者， 一种或多种抗微生物蛋白的低值。 限制 核酸内切酶染色体DNA指纹和其他 分子技术将用于表征和比较 受试者之间的链球菌菌群（见微生物学 项目A1）。 微电极方法将用于 比较受试者斑块之间的酸产生曲线（参见 微生物学部分，项目A8）。 获得的信息将 用于重新铸造工作的假设，具体而言， 研究问题。 设计旨在解决这些问题 应该有助于理解东道主的作用 防御因素对口语人际差异的影响 生态

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.