title: Changes in microflora in dental plaque from cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and the relationship of these changes with mucositis: A pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To assess changes in oral microflora in dental plaque from cancer patients within 7 days of the first course of chemotherapy, and the relationship of the changes with mucositis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty cancer patients, divided into a test group undergoing chemotherapy and a control group no undergoing chemotherapy, were enrolled in this pilot study. Oral microflora were cultured from three samples of dental plaque at t0 (before chemotherapy), t1 (1 day after chemotherapy) and t2 (7 days after chemotherapy). Single and crossed descriptive analyses were used to establish prevalence, and the χ² test was used to establish the statistical significance of the differences observed in distributions (significance level: P<0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In most patients (57%), oral microflora consisted mainly of Gram-positive cocci, while the remaining 43% of the bacterial flora also had periodontal-pathogenic species. No Porphyromonas gingivalis appeared in the test group. Actinobacillus was the least frequently found bacterium among periodontal pathogens in the test group, while Fusobacterium nucleatum was the most frequently found. No significant differences were found in quantitative bacterial changes between t0, t1 and t2 in either the test or control groups, or between the two groups. According to World Health Organization scores, oral mucositis developed in 10 patients (66.6%) in the test group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this pilot study indicate that there were no changes in microflora in dental plaque in cancer patients within 7 days of the first course of chemotherapy. No correlations between oral mucositis and specific microorganisms were assessed.
authors: Oral and Maxillo-facial Sciences Department, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Caserta 6 - 00161 Rome, Italy, iole.vozza@uniroma1.it.
authors: Iole
authors: I
authors: Vozza
authors: Vito
authors: V
authors: Caldarazzo
authors: Livia
authors: L
authors: Ottolenghi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D058491:Bacterial Load; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents