title: Salivary levels of putative cariogenic organisms in patients with eating disorders.
abstract: The present study examined the hypothesis that women with eating disorders associated with a history of chronic vomiting can be characterized by a salivary flora with high levels of aciduric organisms, such as, mutans streptococci, lactobacilli and yeast. Three groups of female subjects were studied: vomiting bulimics (G1; n = 14), and comparison groups selected for high Streptococcus mutans (G2; n = 13), and low S. mutans levels (G3; n = 12). The prevalence and levels of mutans streptococci, lactobacilli and yeast tended to be higher in bulimics than in non-bulimics. The bulimics had significantly higher levels and higher prevalence of Streptococcus sobrinus than the non-bulimics. A high S. sobrinus colonization may be a marker for a history of vomiting in bulimia.
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Bretz
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Krahn
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Drewnowski
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Loesche
mesh_terms: D002032:Bulimia / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology*; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015003:Yeasts / Q000302:isolation & purification*