Antigenicity of a synthetic peptide from glucosyltransferases of Streptococcus mutans in humans.

Human salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA) and serum IgG antibodies to the Streptococcus mutans glucosyltransferases (Gtfs) and to a synthetic peptide of 19 amino acids from a conserved region in the Gtfs (residues 435 to 453) were determined in young adults by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Varying levels of antibody to Gtfs were detected in saliva or serum, with significantly higher levels of antibody to GtfD than to GtfB/C or GtfC. Anti-Gtf IgA levels in saliva did not correlate with those of IgG in serum. Caries-free (CF) volunteers exhibited significantly higher salivary IgA antibody levels to the peptide and to GtfB/C or GtfC than did the caries-active (CA) subjects. Preincubation of CF saliva and serum with the peptide inhibited the antibodies to the Gtfs in a dose-dependent manner, whereas preincubation of the samples from the CA group resulted in only partial inhibition. Our results indicated that this 19-amino-acid peptide includes one of the major B-cell epitopes of Gtfs and that CF individuals have higher titers of antibodies than CA subjects.