Candida species and other yeasts in the oral cavities of type 2 diabeticpatients in Cali, Colombia / Especies de candida y otras levaduras en la cavidad oral de pacientes diabéticos tipo 2 en Cali, Colombia

Objective:To determine the prevalence ofCandidaspeciesand to study factors associated to oral cavity colonization inpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.Methods:A total of 107 diabetics were classified into contro-lled and uncontrolled according to glycosylated hemoglobinvalues. Each patient was assessed for stimulated salivary flowrates, pH, and an oral rinse to search for yeast. The study alsodetermined the state of oral health via Klein and Palmer CPOindexes for permanent dentition, dental plaque by O’Leary,and a periodontal chart.Results:We found yeasts in 74.8 percent of the patients. A total of 36of the 52 subjects with controlled diabetes presented yeasts and44 in the uncontrolled; no significant differences (p = 0.2) werenoted among the presence of yeasts and the control of bloodglucose. The largest number of isolates corresponded toC. al-bicans, followed byC. parapsilosis.Uncontrolled individualspresented a significantly higher percentage of yeast differentfromC. albicans(p = 0.049).Conclusions:We found a high percentage of Candida colo-nization and uncontrolled individuals had greater diversityof species. The wide range of CFU/ml found both in patientswith oral candidiasis, as well as in those without it did not per-mit distinguishing between colonization and disease. We onlyfound association between isolation of yeasts and the low rateof salivary flow.