Demonstration of an alloimmune response to embryonic enamel matrix proteins.

Young adult rabbits were immunized with enamel matrix proteins from embryonic tooth organs of the same strain of rabbit. These proteins elicited an alloimmune response as demonstrated by the specific binding of antiserum to enamel matrix which was visualized by indirect immunofluorescent microscopy. The labial and lingual surfaces of embryonic incisor tooth organs were found to share common antigenic determinants. The observations suggest that enamel proteins could possibly be autoantigens.