Fungal load and candidiasis in Sjögren's syndrome.
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.
Radfar
Lida
L
State Univeristy of New York, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA.
Shea
Yvonne
Y
Fischer
Steven H
SH
Sankar
Vidya
V
Leakan
Rose Anne
RA
Baum
Bruce J
BJ
Pillemer
Stanley R
SR
D002175:Candida / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000254:growth & development; D041221:Candida glabrata / Q000254:growth & development; D041022:Candida tropicalis / Q000254:growth & development; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D012636:Secretory Rate / Q000502:physiology; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric