Study of humoral immunity to commensal oral bacteria in human infants demonstrates the presence of secretory immunoglobulin A antibodies reactive with Actinomyces naeslundii genospecies 1 and 2 ribotypes

The mouths of three human infants were examined from birth to age 2 years to detect colonization of Actinomyces naeslundii genospecies 1 and 2. These bacteria did not colonize until after tooth eruption. The diversity of posteruption isolates was determined by ribotyping. Using immunoblotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we determined the reactivity of secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) antibodies in saliva samples collected from each infant before and after colonization against cell wall proteins from their own A. naeslundii strains and carbohydrates from standard A. naeslundii genospecies I and 2 strains. A. naeslundii genospecies 1 and 2 carbohydrate-reactive SIgA antibodies were not detected in any saliva sample. However, SIgA antibodies reactive with cell wall proteins were present in saliva before these bacteria colonized the mouth. These antibodies could be almost completely removed by absorption with A. odontolyticus, a species known to colonize the human mouth shortly after birth. However, after colonization by A. naeslundii genospecies 1 and 2, specific antibodies were induced that could not be removed by absorption with A. odontolyticus. Cluster analysis of the patterns of reactivity of postcolonization salivary antibodies from each infant with antigens from their own strains showed that not only could these antibodies discriminate among strains but antibodies in saliva samples collected at different times showed different reactivity patterns. Overall, these data suggest that, although much of the salivary SIgA antibodies reactive with A. naeslundii genospecies 1 and 2 are directed against genus-specific or more broadly cross-reactive antigens, species, genospecies, and possibly strain-specific antibodies are induced in response to colonization.