PROTEIN DIFFUSION PATTERNS OF HUMAN SALIVA

Background: There are two modes of saliva protein diffusion on a cellu lose flat matrix. The monophasic mode of diffusion consists in a homog eneous distribution of salivary protein components on the matrix. Oz t he contrary in the biphasic mode, an nl ea occupied by nondiffusible p roteins is surrounded by an area occupied by diffusible proteins. Aim: To study protein diffusion patterns of saliva obtained from normal hu man volunteers. Material and methods: Saliva was obtained from 33 subj ects aged 67.5 +/- 22 years old (29 female). Forty microliters of sali va were deposited in the center of cellulose disks for protein diffusi on assays. Results:Thirty three whole saliva samples and 31 submandibu lar/sublingual samples showed a biphasic diffusion pattern. On the con trary, 62 out of 66 samples of parotid saliva displayed a monophasic d iffusion pattern. In one parotid saliva samples and 2 submandibular/su blingual samples, the diffusion pattern could not be established. Patt erns of salivary protein diffusion were highly consistent within the s ame individual. Eighty percent of subjects had an unequivocal pattern of saliva protein diffusion. Conclusions: The monophasic modes of sali va protein diffusion is a feature of parotid saliva, whereas the bipha sic mode is characteristic of submandibular/sublingual and whole saliv a.