PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON THE PRESENCE OF ACID PHOSPHATASE IN CERTAIN ORAL MICROORGANISMS

¹ Federal Security Agency, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Dental Research, Bethesda, Md.

The acid phosphatase activity of whole saliva and of some of the microorganisms present in saliva has been studied using sodium p-nitrophenyl phosphate as the substrate. Members of the following groups have been found to possess an acid phosphatase; lactobacilli, streptococci, micrococci, and aerobacter.

In an initial trial with 30 cases, generally parallel results were obtained between acid phosphatase activity, Snyder test activity, and lactobacillus counts of saliva suggesting further study of the acid phosphatase activity of saliva as an additional laboratory test for caries activity.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. J. CARTER, K. C. HOERMAN, H. R. ENGLANDER, and I. L. SHKLAIR Oral Phosphatase Levels and Caries Activity Science, February 24, 1956; 123(3191): 325 - 326. [PDF]