Evidence of intact histatins in the in vivo acquired enamel pellicle.

Understanding the composition and function of the acquired enamel pellicle (AEP) has been a major goal in oral biology. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that intact histatins are part of the in vivo AEP and that histatins after adsorption to HA have effects on in vitro enamel demineralization. This is the first study demonstrating the presence of intact histatins in vivo in the AEP. The in vitro experiments show that all naturally occurring histatins in the AEP have the potential to provide some level of protection against acid injury.