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. 2003 Sep;96(3):283-7.
doi: 10.1016/s1079-2104(03)00224-5.

Fungal load and candidiasis in Sjögren's syndrome

Lida Radfar  1 , Yvonne Shea, Steven H Fischer, Vidya Sankar, Rose Anne Leakan, Bruce J Baum, Stanley R Pillemer
Affiliations

Fungal load and candidiasis in Sjögren's syndrome

Lida Radfar et al. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 2003 Sep.

Abstract

Objective: We sought to investigate the prevalence of Candida carriage and the relationships between salivary flow rates and oral Candida load in patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS).

Methods: The oral Candida load of patients with SS was evaluated by culturing oral rinse (swish and spit) samples. Culture, Gram stain, and wet-mount test results were reported.

Results: One hundred three patients (96 women) met European criteria for SS (91 with primary SS and 12 with secondary SS). The mean age (95% confidence interval) was 55 years (range, 51-57 years). Oral rinse cultures were positive in 77% of subjects. The total stimulated salivary flow rate was inversely correlated with oral Candida load (r = -0.47; P </=.0001). The oral rinse samples yielded gram-positive results in 38% of patients with SS, and the Fungi-Fluor assay (wet mount) results were positive in 49%.

Conclusions: The prevalence of Candida carriage varies according to the methods used to determine the presence of the organism and is similar to that reported in the literature. A low stimulated salivary flow rate-not a low unstimulated flow rate-was associated with Candida carriage.

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