USE OF THE SALIVARY PROTEIN CD14 AS AN INDICATOR OF THE LOW RISK OF DEVELOPING CARIES

摘要

It is generally accepted that salivary components are important for dental health, but till now no clear correlation has been found between one or more of said components and the onset of dental caries. The present invention relates to an assay method comprising analysing the presence and/or the content of the salivary soluble CD14 protein from a saliva sample of the individual subjected to examination; the absence of said protein from the salivary sample, or its presence in a reduced amount compared to a predetermined threshold value in caries-free individuals, is considered as a marker of susceptibility to developing caries and/or as a diagnostic element for the existence of ongoing carious lesions .