Oral status and Candida colonization in patients with Sjögren’s Syndrome

ABSTRACT

Objective: To determine the oral status, salivary flow rate, Candida carriage in saliva, and prevalence of Candidaalbicans colonization in several areas of the mouth in patients with primary and secondary Sjögren’s syndrome asopposed to those of healthy subjects.Study design: Thirty-seven patients with Sjögren’s syndrome (SS), [14 patients with primary SS (SS-1) and 23patients with secondary SS (SS-2)], along with 37 healthy controls were examined in regard to number of teeth,pro-bing pocket depth (PPD), approximal plaque index (API), bleeding on probing (BOP), presence of prostheticappliances and smoking habits. Salivary flow rate (SFR), Candida carriage in saliva, presence of Candida albicanscolonization on buccal, angular, palatal and sulcular areas, on dentures and on the tongue’s dorsal surfacewere determined. Statistical analyses were performed using the 2-tailed Fisher exact and Kruskal-Wallis test.Results: No statistically significant difference was found between SS-1 and SS-2 groups based on the parametersanalysed. Statistically significant differences were observed between patients with SS and healthy subjects interms of SFR, oral signs and symptoms, API, BOP, C. albicans colonization on tongue and buccal area, and Candidacarriage in saliva. In the gingival crevicular fluid positive C. albicans colonization was found in only onesubject of SS subgroup.Conclusions: SS patients carry a higher risk of having periodontitis and are more predisposed to develop candidiasis.C. albicans is scarcely detected in gingival crevicular fluid despite high scores on C. albicans colonization indifferent areas of the oral cavity in SS patients (AU)