Evaluation of salivary cortisol and psychological factors in patients with oral lichen planus.

Background and Objectives: Lichen planus is a relatively common chronic inflammatory disease of oral mucosa and skin. Cortisol, also called as "stress hormone", has been used as an indicator in various stress evaluation studies. Salivary cortisol measurement is an indicator of free cortisol or biologically active cortisol in human serum and provides noninvasive and easy technique. Recent studies have been conflicting, and hence, in the present study, evaluation of salivary cortisol levels and psychosocial factors in oral lichen planus (OLP) patients was done. Materials and Methods: A total of 30 patients with clinically and histopathologically proven cases of OLP, along with the age and sex-matched healthy controls were included in the study. Samples of stimulated saliva were collected, centrifuged and analyzed for the level of cortisol with cortisol enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Psychosocial factors of study and control groups were measured by depression anxiety and stress scale. Student's t-test was used to compare the psychological factors and salivary cortisol levels between patients with the OLP and the control group. Results: Irrespective of sex, significantly higher depression (83.4 ± 15.4%), anxiety (80.5 ± 11.3%), and stress (94.2 ± 6.2%) scores were observed in OLP patients compared to controls. Increased cortisol levels were observed among 17 (56.6%) OLP patients in the study group. A positive correlation was found between psychological factors and salivary cortisol levels in the OLP patients. The values of Pearson's correlation coefficient "r", between depression, anxiety, and stress with salivary cortisol was: +0.42,S; +0.27,NS; and +0.65,HS, respectively among the study group.

Burning mouth syndrome: clinical profile of Brazilian patients and oral carriage of candida species

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a complex disease of unknown cause. It is characterized by a burning sensation in the oral mucosa, notwithstanding its clinical normal aspect. BMS is particularly seen in postmenopausal women. The purpose of this study was to investigate this syndrome on a clinical basis and, in addition, to analyze its possible relation to the frequency of Candida species. Thirty-one patients (28 women and 3 men; 13 Caucasians and 18 non-Caucasians; mean age = 61.3, range 30-85 years) were evaluated. Most patients (80.6 percent) were under long-term medication, antihypertensive, ansiolitic and antidepressant drugs being the most used. Burning mouth complaint was associated with other secondary oral complaints in 83.8 percent of the cases. Tongue was the most commonly affected site (70.9 percent), followed by the vermillion border of the lower lip (38.7 percent) and hard palate (32.2 percent). The association of the burning sensation with oral cancer (cancer phobia) was reported by 67.7 percent of the patients. Haematologic examination (hematocrit, haemoglobin and fasting blood glucose level) revealed 2 cases each of anemia and type 2 diabetes. Local factors, tooth extractions and dentures wearing, were associated with the onset of symptoms in 35.5 percent of the cases. Daily activities were changed as a consequence of BMS in 29 percent of the patients. Among the species of the genus Candida, C. albicans was the most frequent in BMS patients (9 - 29.03 percent) and controls (12 - 38.70 percent), followed respectively by C. parapsilosis (2 - 6.45 percent and 0 - 0 percent); C. tropicalis (1 - 3.22 percent and 2 - 6.45 percent); C. krusei and C. kefyr (1 - 3.22 percent and 0 - 0 percent). Therefore, such difference did not reach valuable results. In conclusion, these data were similar to those reported in other studies. The highlights of the present findings were the possible relation of BMS with chronic drug...

A Síndrome de ardência bucal (SAB) é uma doença complexa, de etiologia desconhecida. Caracteriza-se por uma sensação de queimação na mucosa bucal, não obstante seu aspecto clínico normal, sendo bastante freqüente em mulheres após a menopausa. O propósito deste estudo foi o de investigar a SAB em bases clínicas e, em adição, analisar sua possível relação com a freqüência de espécies do gênero Candida isoladas da cavidade bucal desses indivíduos. Foram estudados trinta e um pacientes, 28 mulheres e 3 homens, 13 caucasianos e 18 não caucasianos, média de idade 61,3 (faixa dos 30 - 85 anos). A maioria deles (80,6 por cento) estava sob medicação por longo período. Anti-hipertensivos, ansioliticos e antidepressivos foram as drogas mais utilizadas. A ardência bucal estava associada a outras queixas secundárias em 83,8 por cento dos pacientes. A língua foi o sítio mais afetado (70,9 por cento), seguida pelo vermelhão do lábio inferior (38,7 por cento) e palato duro (32,2 por cento). A associação de sensação de ardência com câncer bucal (cancerofobia) foi referida por 67,7 por cento dos pacientes. Exames hematológicos (hematócrito, hemoglobina e glicemia em jejum) revelaram dois casos cada, de anemia e diabetes tipo 2. Fatores locais, exodontias, e uso de próteses estavam associados com o conjunto de sintomas em 35,5 por cento dos casos. Foram referidas alterações importantes nas atividades cotidianas, em conseqüência da SAB, em 29 por cento dos pacientes. Leveduras do gênero Candida foram isoladas da cavidade bucal de 45,16 por cento dos indivíduos com SAB e igualmente do grupo-controle, não constituindo dado qualitativamente importante. Dentre as espécies do Gênero Candida, C. albicans foi a mais freqüente (9 - 29,03 por cento e 12 - 38,70 por cento), seguida de C. parapsilosis (2 - 6,45 por cento e 0 - 0 por cento), C. tropicalis (1 - 3,22 por cento e 2 - 6,45 por cento), C. krusei e C. kefyr (1 - 3,22 por cento e 0 - 0 por cento). Em conclusão, nossos...

Análisis de factores emocionales en el sindrome de ardor de boca: dinea / Analysis of emotional factors in the burning mouth syndrome: dynia

El objetivo de este trabajo es mostrar la relación existente entre las dineas y los aspectos psicológicos diferenciables entre pacientes portadores de esta patología y sugerir un modelo de abordaje terapéutico sustentado en la práctica interdisciplinaria y en la realización de grupos de autoayuda