Respiratory disease and the role of oral bacteria

The relationship between oral health and systemic conditions, including the association between poor oral hygiene, periodontal disease, and respiratory disease, has been increasingly debated over recent decades. A considerable number of hypotheses have sought to explain the possible role of oral bacteria in the pathogenesis of respiratory diseases, and some clinical and epidemiological studies have found results favoring such an association. This review discusses the effect of oral bacteria on respiratory disease, briefly introduces the putative biological mechanisms involved, and the main factors that could contribute to this relationship. It also describes the role of oral care for individuals who are vulnerable to respiratory infections

Human glandular salivas: Their separate collection and analysis

Human saliva is secreted by the three pairs of major salivary glands (parotid, submandibular, and sublingual), and numerous minor ones, e.g. labial, buccal and (glosso)palatine glands. Using individually adapted collection devices, sublingual, submandibular, parotid and palatine secretions of five individuals were collected and analyzed. Electrophoretic analysis revealed that each type of saliva possesses characteristic features, despite interindividual variations. Parotid salivas are characterized by intensely staining amylase and proline-rich protein bands, but contain minute amounts of cystatins, lysozyme and the extra-parotid glycoprotein. Sublingual salivas are characterized by high concentrations of both types of salivary mucins, MG1 and MG2, and contain relatively high levels of lysozyme. Submandibular salivas contain highest concentration of salivary cystatin S. Palatine secretions contain high molecular weight mucins and a relatively high amylase concentration