COMPENSATORY LEVELS OF SALIVARY IGM ANTI-STREPTOCOCCUS MUTANS ANTIBODIES IN IGA-DEFICIENT PATIENTS

The protective role of salivary IgA in dental caries has not been comp letely demonstrated, so, in order to elucidate this point, we evaluate d 15 totally and partially IgA-deficient children in terms of the foll owing variables: dental caries indexes, bacterial plaques, number of S treptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus in the saliva, and titers of IgA , IgG and IgM anti-Streptococcus mutans antibodies in the saliva. Age- matched healthy children served as the control group. IgA-deficient ch ildren showed caries scores lower than those of the healthy children; in addition, no statistical difference was found between amount of den tal plaque and numbers of the bacteria in saliva. The totally IgA-defi cient children presented IgM in levels much higher than the healthy ch ildren (p < 0.05). These data could indicate a compensation for the Ig A deficiency by IgM.