Oral Candida carriage of patients attending a dental clinic in Braga, Portugal.
BACKGROUND
The ability of the Candida species to colonize surfaces can be considered as a risk factor for oral infection.


OBJECTIVE
To establish oral Candida carriage in patients attending a dental clinic in Braga, Portugal.


METHODS
A total of 97 patients were analysed. Swab samples were collected and directly cultured onto CHROMagar Candida. Representative yeasts were identified by polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
From the samples analysed 54.6% (n=53) were Candida positive, and Candida albicans was the most frequently isolated species, accounting for 79% of all the species identified. Non-C. albicans Candida (NCAC) species recovered included Candida parapsilosis, Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis, and Candida guilliermondii. There was a lack of association between the presence of C. albicans or NCAC species, and age, gender, or prostheses wearing in this population. In 17% of the cases (n=9), polymicrobial cultures, with two different Candida species, were identified.


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows a high Candida carriage rate among this population, thus pointing to the relevance of an accurate diagnostic approach in Candida species identification.
Martins
Margarida
M
Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre of Biological Engineering, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal.
Henriques
Mariana
M
Ribeiro
Ana Paula
AP
Fernandes
Ricardo
R
Gonçalves
Vânia
V
Seabra
Alvaro
A
Azeredo
Joana
J
Oliveira
Rosário
R
D002175:Candida / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002353:Carrier State; D003740:Dental Clinics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D011174:Portugal