Anti-gingipain antibody inhibited volatile sulfur compounds production by P. gingivalis

Materials and Method:  Yolk antibody against gingipain (IgY-GP) and yolk control (IgY-Cont) were provided by GHEN Corporation, Japan.  Antibacterial activity was determined by relative viability of the bacterium treated with the antibody.  Adherence of P. gingivalis to human gingival cells was assessed by adding the antibody to the cells culture for 60 min prior to the infection.  The VSCs levels produced by P. gingivalis culture was measured using a portable gas chromatograph (OralChroma^TM).  In brief, three milliliter of bacterial culture was sealed and incubated at 37 ⁰C.  Immediate after the preparation of bacterial culture and after 3 or 6 hours of incubation, the headspace air was measured for VSCs production.  In order to examine the effect of IgY-GP on VSCs production, several concentrations of antibody were added to bacterial culture and the VSCs levels were measured.

Result: The CH₃SH level in P. gingivalis culture was remarkably increased after 3 hours incubation.  Adding IgG-GP to the culture showed significant reduction of the CH₃SH level in a dose dependent manner, whereas no inhibitory effect was observed with IgY-Cont.   Furthermore, growth of the microorganism was suppressed with the antibody.

Conclusion: These results suggest that trypsin-like enzyme of P. gingivalis plays an important role in VSCs production and the antibody against the enzyme may be useful to prevent oral malodor.