RESUMO
The article presents the estimation of indicators of saliva secretory immunity in 109 people of different ages (22-90 years) residing in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, with no diseases of the salivary glands. The content in saliva IgA, IgM, IgG and secretory IgA, and pro-inflammatory (IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α) and anti-inflammatory (IL-1 receptor antagonist, IL-4, IL-10) cytokines was studied by ELISA. The study established that the level of sgA in saliva increases with age, reaching maximum values in a group of elderly people, but content of sIgA in saliva was falling in people of senile age. In patients of elderly and senile age we also observed changes in the content of cytokines in saliva: increased levels of proinflammatory IL-1ß and TNF-α and anti-IL-10, with a simultaneous decrease of IL-8 (the main chemotactic factor for neutrophils). These changes may cause an imbalance in the local immune response to the pathogen and development of both autoimmune and inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity.
