Salivary immunoglobulin concentrations in predentate and edentulous mouths.

The concentrations of IgA, IgG and IgM in whole saliva of predentate babies, dentate adults, and edentulous old people, and the salivary IgG concentration of dentate old people, were determined using a solid phase radioimmunoassay. A highly significant difference in IgG concentrations was found between toothless and dentate people. The average IgG concentration in the saliva of edentulous old people was 5.2 mg/1, which was about 20% of that of dentate old people. The salivary IgG content of babies was only 1.7 mg/1, which was in concordance with the low postnatal serum IgG values. The salivary IgA level in this age group was also low. The edentulous old people tended to have decreased IgM values, and the predentate babies tended to have increased IgM values compared with the dentate adults.