Absence of binding of human salivary glycoprotein to human gingival fibroblast-like cells in vitro.

The aim of this study was to determine whether human high molecular weight salivary glycoprotein binds in vitro to human gingival fibroblast-like cells. Primary monolayer cultures of 2 human gingival fibroblast-like cell lines were incubated with a high molecular weight fraction of salivary glycoprotein which expressed blood group A activity and glycoprotein-cell binding probed using an FITC-conjugated mouse monoclonal antibody to human blood group A antigen. Surface fluorescence of protein-treated cells was found to be no greater than that of untreated or serum-treated control cultures. As significant binding of salivary glycoprotein to gingival fibroblast-like cells does not occur in vitro, saliva-mediated inhibition of fibroblast attachment to hydroxyapatite is not dependent on specific ligand-lectin interactions.