Oral carriage of Candida species in HIV-infected patients during highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in Belém, Brazil.
OBJECTIVE
To identify the oral carriage of Candida spp in patients infected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the possible correlation with clinical characteristics.


METHODS
Mucosal swab samples collected from 246 patients who were infected by HIV, did not have oral candidiasis, and were being treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy were analyzed. Yeast colonies that developed were identified by using the VITEK 2 automated system.


RESULTS
Candida yeasts were present in 41.87% of the samples, and Candida albicans was the most prevalent (32.52%). Other identified Candida species were C tropicalis (4.88%), C parapsilosis (2.85%), C dubliniensis (0.81%), and C famata (0.81%).


CONCLUSIONS
There was low rate of oral Candida carriage in patients infected by HIV who were on highly active antiretroviral therapy. A greater prevalence of C albicans than non-albicans Candida species was found at the species level. Prior candidiasis predicted the oral carriage of C albicans; however, it did not influence the carriage of non-albicans species. This is the first report of oral carriage of C famata in patients with HIV infection.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, University Center of Pará-CESUPA, Belém, Brazil. Electronic address: ribeiroalr@ig.com.br.
André Luis
AL
Ribeiro Ribeiro
Department of Special Care Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Pará-UFPA, Belém, Brazil.
Tatiany Oliveira
TO
de Alencar Menezes
Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Pará-UFPA, Belém, Brazil.
Sérgio
S
de Melo Alves-Junior
Department of Periodontology, School of Dentistry, University Center of Pará-CESUPA, Belém, Brazil.
Sílvio Augusto Fernandes
SA
de Menezes
Evandro Chagas Institute, Bacteriology and Mycology Section, Mycology Laboratory, Belém, Brazil.
Silvia Helena
SH
Marques-da-Silva
Virology Laboratory, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará-UFPA, Belém, Brazil.
Antonio Carlos
AC
Rosário Vallinoto
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002175:Candida / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D015995:Prevalence