The fucose and agglutinogen contents of saliva in subjects with duodenal ulcers.

Abstract

Abstract The concentration of l-fucose in saliva has been determined in 472 subjects, 332 of whom were free of p≐ptic ulcer symptoms and 140 of whom had duodenal ulcers. The ABO blood group and ABH secretor status of these subjects was determined. It has been shown that there is a significant correlation between log 10 salivary fucose concentration and salivary agglutination-inhibition titer for the following agglutinogens: H in blood group A, B, and O secretors, B in blood group B secretors, and Le a in blood group O nonsecretors. The correlation between log 10 salivary fucose concentration and salivary agglutinogen titer of H in blood group O secretors held true when both Ulex extract and eel serum were used as antisera. Significant correlation was absent between log 10 salivary fucose concentration and salivary A agglutinogen titer in blood group A secretors. The estimation of fucose in saliva is accurate to approximately 1 per cent. In view of the correlations found between salivary agglutinogen titer and salivary fucose concentration, it would appear that the latter is an accurate index of the total salivary blood group substance concentration. Nonsecretors of ABH substances have been found to have almost as high a salivary fucose concentration as do ABH secretors. It has been computed that the mean total blood group substance concentration is of the same order, regardless of blood group or ABH secretor status. ABH secretor and ABH nonsecretor blood group O subjects with duodenal ulcers have the same salivary fucose concentrations as the corresponding phenotypic classes without ulcers. These findings suggest that the increased susceptibility of ABH nonsecretors to develop duodenal ulcers, when compared with ABH secretors, is not caused by the ABH nonsecretors having lower total blood group substance concentrations in their body liquids. The results further suggest that subjects who have developed duodenal ulcers have not done so because their body liquids (as exemplified by saliva) have lower total blood group substance concentrations than do those of subjects without ulcers.