COMPARISON OF CELLULAR AND HUMORAL IMMUNITY AGAINST STREPTOCOCCAL AND ADULT HUMAN ORAL MUCOSA ANTIGENS IN RELATION TO EXACERBATION OF RECURRENT APHTHOUS STOMATITIS

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Abstract
Cell-mediated immunity (CMI) and humoral mediated immunity (HMI) against streptococcal and adult human oral mucosa (AHOM) antigens were investigated in patients with inactive and active recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS). The CMI and HMI were examined by the leukocyte migration test (LMT) and double layer immunofluorescence (IF). The CMI against Streptococcus sanguis strain 2A, S. pyogenes strain M5 and AHOM was significantly increased in inactive and active RAS. Significant difference between active and inactive RAS was only demonstrated when S. sanguis 2A was used as antigen in the leukocyte migration cultures. Longitudinal observations in relation to exacerbation of RAS revealed significant changes in the migration indices (MI) when S. sanguis 2A and AHOM were used as antigens. Extracts of S. pyogenes M5 and other tissues (kidney and uterus) did not show any significant changes of MI in relation to the exacerbation of RAS. The IF investigations detected significantly raised IgG [immunoglobulin G] antibodies against washed whole cells of S. sanguis 2A and S. pyogenes M5 in sera from patients with RAS. The auto-antibodies in RAS belonged to the IgG and IgM classes. The detected antibodies were able to bind serum complement (C3). The distribution of endpoint titers (EPT) against S. sanguis 2A, S. pyogenes M5 and AHOM antigens did not differ significantly in patients with active RAS in relation to those with inactive RAS. The EPT against S. sanguis 2A and AHOM were not significantly changed in relation to exacerbation of RAS. CMI and HMI against streptococcal and AHOM antigens are apparently characteristic features of RAS. CMI against S. sanguis 2A and AHOM is significantly increased in relation to exacerbation of RAS.