Detection of dentin antigenic fractions by salivary immunoglobulin G in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment

This study aimed to partially characterize the antigenic fractions of human dentin extract, and to evaluate the anti-dentin antibodies levels in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment. Two dentin extract fractions (FI and FIIa) were used to analyze the saliva samples from three groups of subjects. One group had 13 subjects who presented radiographic signs of mild to moderate root resorption 12 months after starting orthodontic treatment (T12); saliva samples taken prior to treatment served as controls (T0). The other groups had 10 subjects with radiographic signs of mild to severe root resorption up to 48 months after orthodontic therapy (PT); 10 individuals not undergoing orthodontic treatment were selected as controls (ST). Western blot analysis revealed the presence of dentinal fractions of approximately 35 to 70 kDa in (T12) and (PT) but not in the control samples. In immunoenzymatic assays, the anti-FI salivary IgG levels were significantly higher in T12 and PT groups than in the controls (P< 0.05). Our results demonstrate that dentinal fractions may be presented to the immune system and detected by salivary IgG. The levels of anti-dentin antibodies may remain elevated even years after finishing of orthodontic therapy.Keywords: Root resorption, dentinal antigens, humoral response, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blot.African Journal of Biotecnology, Vol 13(22) 2282-228