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Cited by 73Oral microbiology and periodontitis researchInfant Nutrition and HealthSalivary Gland Disorders and Functions

Ontogeny of Immunity to Oral Microbiota in Humans

Smith, Daniel J., Taubman, Martin A.·1992·Critical Reviews in Oral Biology & Medicine
DOI 10.1177/10454411920030010201
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Abstract

This article reviews the ontogeny of immune systems in the human oral cavity that may influence the colonization, accumulation, or pathogenesis of oral microbiota. The prenatal development of cellular components associated with the secretory immune system reveals that the initial organization of tissue into Peyer's patches can first be detected immunohistologically at 11 weeks gestation. Epithelial cells positive for secretory component and immunocytes positive for IgM can be detected in salivary gland tissue by 19 to 20 weeks and continue to predominate during gestation. After birth, immunocytes containing IgA begin to dominate. Essentially, no IgA can be detected in saliva at birth. However, salivary IgA and IgM often appear soon thereafter, presumably in response to environmental antigenic and mitogenic challenges. Salivary IgA in young infants has molecular characteristics of secretory IgA and becomes the quantitatively predominate Ig in saliva. Both IgA subclasses are present in proportions characteristic of adult pure glandular salivas in many 1- to 2-month-old infants, although the appearance of IgA2 is delayed in some subjects. Many innate, antibody, and cellular immune components are found in maternal colostrum and breast milk. The antibacterial properties of these maternal factors are diverse and can exert multifaceted protective effects on the infant's alimentary tract. The infant apparently can mount mucosal immune responses quite early in life. For example, salivary antibody activity to organisms that originally colonize the gut (e.g., E. coli) or the oral cavity (e.g., S. mitis, S. salivarius) can be detected by 1 to 2 months of age. Most of this antibody activity has characteristics of secretory IgA, although some IgM antibody can also be initially detected. Salivary IgAl and IgA2 antibody specificities to S. mitis and S. salivarius components increase qualitatively and quantitatively during the first few years of life. Salivary IgA antibody to components of streptococci that require hard surfaces for colonization (e.g., S. sanguis and mutans streptococci) generally appear after tooth eruption. The loss of placentally derived maternal IgG antibody specificities to these microbiota in the circulation is replaced by de novo synthesis, presumably as a result of the teething process. These IgG antibodies can enter the oral cavity in the gingival crevicular fluid and by the process of teething. The collective contributions in the oral cavity of innate and antibody-based immune elements from the saliva, gingival crevicular fluid (and milk if breast feeding) may be considered together with diet, infectious dose, salivary receptors, and tooth integuments, as factors that can determine the outcome of initial colonization events on erupting tooth surfaces.

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  • Oral immune ontogeny develops by 11 weeks of gestation, at which point cellular components related to the prenatal secretary immune system demonstrate organization of tissue into Peyer's patches.

    “Oral immune ontogeny, as with the gut, develops by 11 weeks of gestation, at which point cellular components related to the prenatal secretary immune system demonstrate organization of tissue into Peyer's patches.109”

    From The oral microbiome: Role of key organisms and complex networks in oral health and disease (2021) · cites this paper as [109]

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Authors
Smith, D. J., & Taubman, M. A.
Affiliations
The Forsyth Institute (US)
ORCID
Smith, Daniel J.
Venue
Critical Reviews in Oral Biology & Medicine
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
1992-01
Volume
3
Issue
1
Pages
109-133
ISSN
  • 1045-4411 (ISSN-L)
  • 1544-1113
DOI
10.1177/10454411920030010201
OpenAlex
W2129168151
Cited by
73
References
121
Citations by year
2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 3
FWCI
0.81
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
  • Critical Reviews in Oral Biology & Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (DE04733, DE-06153)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Dentistry › Periodontics › Oral microbiology and periodontitis research
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Infant Nutrition and Health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Salivary Gland Disorders and Functions
Keywords
oral microbiota, secretory IgA, salivary IgA, IgA subclasses, IgM, Peyer's patches, salivary glands, maternal colostrum, breast milk, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus sanguinis, mutans streptococci, teething, gingival crevicular fluid, IgG, oral colonization
MeSH terms
Bacteria, Fetus, Humans, Immunity, Cellular, Immunoglobulins, Mouth, Tooth Eruption

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