A comparative study of salivary lysozyme in caries-resistant and caries-susceptible adults.

Lysozyme concentration was quantitated immunochemically in parotid and submandibular-sublingual saliva of 46 caries-resistant and 17 caries-susceptible adults. There was essentially no difference between the two groups. The concentration of lysozyme was three times higher in the submandibular-sublingual than in the parotid secretion, and was significantly higher in unstimulated submandibular saliva than in secretions stimulated with 1, 2, or 4% citric acid. There were no significant differences in flow rate between caries-resistant and -susceptible subjects. Salivary lysozyme concentration is not a critical determinant of resistance or susceptibility to caries.