OPSONIN IN THE SALIVA OF CARIES-NEGATIVE AND CARIES-POSITIVE PATIENTS

¹ Foundation for Dental Research of the Chicago College of Dental Surgery, Chicago, Ill.

Thirty-five phagocytosis experiments were carried out using saliva from 18 caries-free individuals and 10 with rampant caries. The saliva from the caries-free persons stimulated 37 per cent of the leucocytes (average) to take up bacteria. Saliva from persons with rampant caries stimulated only 4 per cent of the leucocytes (average) to take up bacteria. When both saliva and serum were used in the tests an inhibition of the opsonic action of the serum was noted. This inhibition was very slight when saliva from caries-free persons was used but was very marked when saliva from persons with rampant caries was used.