Salivary IgA antibody to Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans in a young adult population

Stimulated parotid salivas, collected from 162 young adults, were screened in ELISA Tor IgA antibody to Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans . Subjects with elevated levels of IgA antibody (HSA) were age‐ and sex‐matched with subjects with low antibody levels (LSA) for subsequent study. Infection with A. actinomycetemcomitans , elevated serum antibody levels to A. actinomycetemcomitans , and presence of multiple sites >5 mm were generally found only in the HSA group. There was a significant association between the presence of deep pockets and elevated serum antibody in these subjects. Thus, screening saliva for IgA antibody may be a useful, noninvasive technique to identify individuals with the potential to develop periodontal disease or those who are currently responding to an infection with A. actinomycetemcomitans .