Immunological characterization of plasminogen activators in human mixed saliva.

In mixed saliva obtained from six healthy volunteers, the plasminogen activators were characterized immunologically using antibodies specific for human tissue plasminogen activator and urokinase, which were raised in goats immunized with low molecular weight urokinase and tissue-type activator from melanoma cells. The fibrinolytic activity in mixed saliva upon stimulation was assayed on fibrin plates containing plasminogen after preincubation with immunoglobulins with and without specific antibodies. In both centrifuged and uncentrifuged saliva, antibodies against tissue plasminogen activator completely quenched the fibrinolytic activity. By contrast, antibodies against urokinase had no suppressive effect, neither did non-immunized goat serum influence the fibrinolytic activity in mixed saliva. In conclusion, during physiological conditions tissue plasminogen activator appears to regulate fibrinolytic activity in mixed saliva, in which no activity of urokinase-like plasminogen activators could be demonstrated.