David Weisberger

Hereditary gingival fibromatosis: Report of a family

Abstract The genealogy of a family with hereditary gingival fibromatosis has been presented. Six marriages between normal and affected persons over four generations resulted in eleven affected children (six girls and five boys) and ten normal children. The defect was transmitted only through an affected parent, the mechanism undoubtedly being a dominant autosomal gene. The clinical and histologic pictures have been illustrated, and the treatment has been described. The literature on hereditary gingival fibromatosis has been briefly reviewed.

Studies on the protein composition of rodent saliva—I: Application of methods of paper electrophoresis to two strains of laboratory rat

Abstract The basic methods used in the collection, electrophoretic separation, staining and characterization of the protein components of pilocarpine-stimulated whole rat saliva were presented. By these methods ten components were routinely demonstrated. A comparison of the occurrence of these components between a caries-susceptible strain of rat and a caries-resistant strain showed that differences occurred in component 5, which contained most of the amylolytic activity of the saliva, and in component 9, which has the same mobility as crystalline lysozyme. Component 5 was significantly higher in the susceptible rats than in the resistant ones, while component 9 was significantly higher in the resistant than in the susceptible rats. Periodic acid-Schiff staining of patterns revealed positive staining areas of components 1, 2, 5 and 8. Component 8 had the most intense staining for the amount of protein present. Selective sialoadenectomy studies showed that the major amounts of protein were derived from the parotid glands, while the major volume of saliva was obtained from the submaxillary-sublingual complex. The ratio of protein concentrations for the two sets of glands are of the order of 2.9:1.0, respectively. Component I was not usually observed in animals with only their parotids intact, while only an occasional trace of component 9 could be observed in animals with their parotids removed.

Sjögren's syndrome: Electrophoretic and immunological observations on serum and salivary proteins of man

Abstract Serum, parotid and whole saliva from normal and diseased subjects were analysed by paper and immunoelectrophoresis. The patients were divided into groups according to severity of salivary gland disease. It was observed that the electrophoretic pattern of parotid secretion was specific for each group. With mild disease the cathode migrating proteins exhibit a decrease compared to the normal. With advanced disease (Sjogrens syndrome) the anodal proteins increase as the cathodal proteins decrease. An increase in a beta migrating glycoprotein was observed in diseased samples. Immunoelectrophoretic analysis revealed that whole saliva contains at least five proteins similar to serum proteins: albumin, transferrin, IgM, IgA and IgG. Parotid saliva only exhibited two proteins similar to serum proteins: albumin and IgA. Ten immunogenic proteins are present in parotid secretions when tested with antiparotid saliva serum. An increase in parotid albumin-antialbumin reaction was observed to correlate with the extent of clinical disease in each gland even within an individual, in patients with Sjogrens syndrome or possible Sjogren. It is felt that albumin may be involved in salivary gland disease. The results are discussed in relation to the findings of previous investigators.

Study of Ascorbic Acid Blood Levels in Dental Patients

Histories of low Vitamin C intake have been frequently obtained from patients attending the various departments of the dental school clinic. The effects of Vitamin C deficiency on dental structures have been studied experimentally by Wolbach and Howe, 1926 (1). Hanke, 1933 (2), observed clinical improvement in the gingiva following the use of large amounts of orange juice and suggested that the improvement in the gingival condition was due to Vitamin C in the orange juice. No method at that time was available for determining Vitamin C deficiency, and synthetic Vitamin C had not then been isolated. Recently Boyle (3) described, in Vitamin C deficient guinea pigs, parodontal changes which are pathologically identical with a form of human parodontal disease. Clinical studies on Vitamin C nutritional states have been aided by the isolation of synthetic Vitamin C and by the introduction of laboratory methods for determining the concentration of Vitamin C in the blood. Using one of these methods, a study has been made on the state of Vitamin C nutrition in 65 dental patients. Fifty of the 65 were among others sent to this department for a general medical examination. They were not selected because of the presence or absence of parodontal disease. Feeding experiments were carried on with the remaining 15. These were chosen because of the coexisting parodontal disease and Vitamin C deficiency.

Carious Lesions in Cotton Rat Molars. II. Effect of Removal of Principal Salivary Glands.

Summary The removal of the principal salivary glands of cotton rats prior to maintenance on purified, caries-producing rations resulted in a significantly greater average number and average extent of carious lesions than was observed in their intact littermates maintained under otherwise identical experimental circumstances. No alteration in the relative distribution of the lesions with respect to the various tooth surfaces resulted from the removal of the major salivary glands.

Nutritional Requirements for an Oral Strain of Lactobacillus Acidophilus

The relation of acid production by bacteria present in the oral cavity to the etiology of dental caries has received attention for a long period (1). More recently a number of publications have described the kinds of aciduric organisms in oral cavities (2, 3), while others have assayed the frequencies with which various species occur (4, 5, 6). Considerable information has been accumulated regarding the nutritive factors necessary for the growth of bacteria of various species (7-12). For some organisms, such as Lactobacillus case, it has been shown that the quantity of acid produced is correlated with the process and the extent of growth (13). This relation has become the basis of analytical methods for measuring the quantities of certain vitamins (14) and amino acids (15) in artificial media. Quantitative data regarding the chemical factors necessary for the nutrition of any of the aciduric organisms present in the oral cavity are almost nonexistent. Hill and Kniesner (16, 17) have stated that pantothenic acid and dextrose are necessary for the growth of Lactobacillus acidophilus. These are the only reports on the nutrition of oral bacteria of which we are aware. Therefore, it seemed desirable to acquire as much information as possible regarding the growth requirements of a typical microorganism from the human mouth for any contribution which such a study might make to the important problem of dental caries. It was thought too, that such an investigation might lead to information as to the usefulness of this microorganism in biochemical assay. For the initial study the organism selected was Lactobacillus acidophilus. The strain used has been identified bacteriologically and has been grown repeatedly on synthetic media in which the constituents are largely known chemical substances.

The separation of salivary proteins by paper electrophoresis under various conditions.

Abstract Whole human saliva was collected by paraffin stimulation. The samples were either dialysed, electrodialysed or used directly for paper electrophoretic studies. From the results obtained it is concluded that in the presence of ions, electrophoretic separation of salivary proteins is inhibited. Amylase activity is distributed among the other salivary proteins and migrates with them. The greatest activity is associated with globulin. Prolonged dialysis removes the free metallic ions and saliva can be separated into nine to ten fractions, two of which migrate faster than albumin. No change in amylatic activity was observed. Upon removal of the ions by electrodialysis, saliva can be resolved into thirteen individual fractions but the amylatic activity is greatly reduced. The possibility arises that electrodialysis disrupts the metallo-enzyme complex of amylase thus inactivating it, and/or detaching it from other salivary proteins. This allows for an even better separation of the saliva constituents. The findings suggest that salivary protein separation is inhibited by the presence of ions and amylase.

Whole Saliva as a Source of Certain Growth Factors for an Oral Strain of Lactobacillus

Recently (1) we have reported experiments in which Lactobacillus acidophilus strain 333, isolated from human saliva, grew successfully and produced acid maximally in a synthetic medium made up from casein hydrolysate, tryptophane, monoand di-potassium phosphates,2 thiamin hydrochloride, nicotinic acid, calcium pantothenate and dextrose. In the present report experiments are described in which it was found that whole saliva could replace some but not all constituents of this synthetic medium.

Hydrolyzed Saliva as a Source of Nutrients Essential for the Production of Acid by an Oral Strain of Lactobacillus Acidophilus

It has been shown (1) that an oral strain of Lactobacillus acidophilus will produce acid to a maximal extent when grown on the synthetic medium described by Landy and Dickens (2). At the same time it was found that not all of the constituents listed by these authors are essential for this process. The organism produced acid to a maximal extent when grown upon a simplified medium consisting of casein hydrolyzate, tryptophane, calcium pantothenate, nicotinic acid, thiamine hydrochloride, glucose, potassium monoand di-phosphates2, and sodium acetate. Later (3) it was shown that paraffin stimulated whole saliva could be used in place of the inorganic phosphate of this synthetic medium. Also it was found that saliva, if concentrated, could be substituted for the calcium pantothenate, nicotinic acid, or the thiamine, but the acid production by LactobaciUus acidophilus was at less than the maximal rate. On the other hand when saliva, concentrated as much as 7 fold, replaced the casein hydrolyzate or the tryptophane no acid production resulted. As a consequence of these findings it was concluded (3) that the mineral salts and the vitamins essential for at least some acid production were present in normal saliva. However, the nitrogenous substances necessary for acid production either were not present in sufficient quantities in the concentrated saliva or were not in an available form. Obviously it was of interest to learn whether hydrolyzed saliva would require fewer or more supplements than had concentrated whole saliva when it assisted Lactobacillus acidophilus in producing acid. Therefore saliva which had been hydrolyzed by acid was used as a replacement in turn for each of the ingredients of the medium of Landy and Dickens (2) and the acid produced by the organism in each instance was determined. Later saliva hydrolyzed by alkali was tested as a replacement for the nitrogenous constituents of a synthetic medium simpler than that described by Landy and Dickens. The observations made in the course of these experiments are outlined in this report.

Lesions of the oral mucosa treated with specific vitamins

Abstract Evidence has been presented of the occurrence of lesions of the oral mucosa as single changes which have been cured by the administration of specific vitamins.