Oral Therapeutic Vaccination with Streptococcus sobrinus Recombinant Enolase Confers Protection against Dental Caries in Rats

Dental caries is among the more prevalent chronic human infections for which an effective human vaccine has not yet been achieved. Enolase from Streptococcus sobrinus has been identified as an immunomodulatory protein. In the present study, we used S. sobrinus recombinant enolase (rEnolase) as a tar...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of infectious diseases 2009-01, Vol.199 (1), p.116-123
Main Authors: Dinis, Márcia, Tavares, Delfina, Veiga-Malta, Isabel, Fonseca, António J. M. M., Andrade, Elva Bonifácio, Trigo, Gabriela, Ribeiro, Adília, Videira, Arnaldo, Cabrita, António M. Silvério, Ferreira, Paula
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Administration, Oral
Animals
Antibodies
Bacteria
Bacterial Vaccines - administration & dosage
Bacterial Vaccines - therapeutic use
Bacteriology
Biological and medical sciences
Dental caries
Dental Caries - microbiology
Dental Caries - prevention & control
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Immunization
Immunization Schedule
Infectious diseases
Lesions
Male
Medical sciences
Medical treatment
Microbiology
Miscellaneous
Mouth - microbiology
Phosphopyruvate Hydratase - therapeutic use
Rats
Saliva
Streptococcal Infections - prevention & control
Streptococcus
Streptococcus sobrinus
Streptococcus sobrinus - enzymology
Streptococcus sobrinus - immunology
Streptococcus sobrinus - isolation & purification
Teeth
Vaccination
Vaccines, Synthetic - administration & dosage
Vaccines, Synthetic - therapeutic use
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Summary:Dental caries is among the more prevalent chronic human infections for which an effective human vaccine has not yet been achieved. Enolase from Streptococcus sobrinus has been identified as an immunomodulatory protein. In the present study, we used S. sobrinus recombinant enolase (rEnolase) as a target antigen and assessed its therapeutic effect in a rat model of dental caries. Wistar rats that were fed a cariogenic solid diet on day 18 after birth were orally infected with S. sobrinus on day 19 after birth and for 5 consecutive days thereafter. Five days after infection and, again, 3 weeks later, rEnolase plus alum adjuvant was delivered into the oral cavity of the rats. A sham-immunized group of rats was contemporarily treated with adjuvant alone. In the rEnolase-immunized rats, increased levels of salivary IgA and IgG antibodies specific for this recombinant protein were detected. A significant decrease in sulcal, proximal enamel, and dentin caries scores was observed in these animals, compared with sham-immunized control animals. No detectable histopathologic alterations were observed in all immunized animals. Furthermore, the antibodies produced against bacterial enolase did not react with human enolase. Overall, these results indicate that rEnolase could be a promising and safe candidate for testing in trials of vaccines against dental caries in humans.
ISSN:0022-1899
1537-6613
DOI:10.1086/594372