title: Assessing oral candidal carriage with mixed salivary glucose levels as non-invasive diagnostic tool in type-2 diabetics of davangere, karnataka, India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The health of oral tissues is known to be related to salivary flow and its composition which may be altered in diabetic patients. The purpose of this study is to correlate mixed salivary glucose levels and oral candidal carriage and to assess the prevalence of candidal carriage in diabetics and controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty adults with type-2 diabetes and 30 without diabetes (control subjects), aged 30-60 yr, participated in the study. Unstimulated saliva was collected and investigated for glucose levels (using glucose oxidase method) and colony-forming units (CFU) of Candida, this was stained with two stains, periodic acid-schiff stain and Grocott Gomori stain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the present study mixed salivary glucose concentration in diabetics was significantly higher (p<0.01) compared to the controls. Diabetics with intraoral candidal carriage had higher salivary glucose levels (mean = 12.76±5.85 mg/dl) compared to cases where Candida was not isolated. The diabetics without intraoral candidal carriage had lower salivary glucose levels (mean = 5.36±2.24 mg/dl). This relationship could be seen in controls (non-diabetics) also. Diabetics showed an oral candidal carriage rate of 80% which was significantly higher compared to nondiabetics who showed an oral candidal carriage rate of 40%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mixed salivary glucose levels were significantly higher in diabetics. The possible high salivary glucose level could predispose to oral candidal infection. So saliva can be used as a quick, non-invasive tool to assess the oral candidal status and possible infection.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Bapuji Dental College and Hospital , Davangere, Karnataka, India .
authors.forename: Rashmi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Naik
authors.affiliation: Professor and Head, Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Bapuji Dental College and Hospital , Davangere, Karnataka, India .
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mujib B R
authors.affiliation: Reader, Department of General Medicine, Jaya Jagadguru Murugharajendra Medical College , Davangere, Karnataka, India .
authors.forename: U R
authors.initials: UR
authors.lastname: Raaju
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Bapuji Dental College and Hospital , Davangere, Karnataka, India .
authors.forename: Neethu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Telagi
keywords: Germ tube test; Grocott gomori stain; Oral candidal carriage; Periodic acid-schiff stain