Evaluation of the levels of oral Candida in patients with Sjogren's syndrome

Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate the levels of oral Candida in patients with Sjogren's syndrome. Methods. The Candida count and salivary flow rate of patients with Sjogren's syndrome were compared with those of healthy control subjects. Candida cultures were obtained from oral rinses. The numbers of colony-forming units were determined through use of the Spiral System. Results. The mean Candida count of patients with Sjogren's syndrome was 1672 +/- 1455 colony-forming units per mt; the count of healthy control subjects was 0.00 colony-forming units per mt. The mean salivary flow rate of patients with Sjogren's syndrome was significantly lower than that of healthy control subjects (0.16 +/- 0.13 ml/min/gland vs 0.55 +/- 0.24 mL/min/gland, respectively; p = 0.0001). However, Spearman rank correlation analyses did not reveal a significant correlation between salivary flaw rate and Candida count (in colony-forming units per mL) among patients with Sjogren's syndrome. Conclusions. Alteration in the oral microbial flora in patients with Sjogren's syndrome may be enhanced by the reduction in salivary output.