EFFECTIVE METHOD FOR DISCRIMINATING BETWEEN ORAL BACTERIAL AND HUMAN ALKALINE-PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY

Alkaline phosphatase (ALPase) activity was quantitatively compared in various kinds of oral bacteria. High ALPase activity was detected in 3 species of periodontal bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia and Capnocytophaga sputigena. The ALPase activity detected in these bacteria was almost completely inhibited in the presence of 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). By contrast, the activity of mammalian ALPase isoenzymes was not inhibited at all even in the presence of 1% SDS. These results indicate that the ALPase assay in combination with 1% SDS can identify the origin of ALPase detected in gingival crevicular fluid as being from bacteria or from a host response. Clinical examination with adult periodontitis revealed that ALPase activity in gingival crevicular fluid from the patients consisted of a combination of SDS-sensitive and SDS-resistant activities. These findings indicate that ALPase activity detected in gingival crevicular fluid originates not only from bacteria but also from a host response.