title: Prevalence of Candida spp. in Healthy Oral Mucosa Surfaces with Higher Incidence of Chronic Hyperplastic Candidosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Predisposing factors in chronic hyperplastic candidosis (CHC) have been poorly recognized. This study aimed at assessing the prevalence of Candida spp. in areas of the oral mucosa showing greater prevalent rate of CHC, such as the retrocomissural area, the lateral borders of the tongue, and the hard-palate mucosa in four groups of individuals presenting predisposing factors as follows: Smoking habits (group I); patients with low salivary flow rate (SFR) (hyposalivation - group II); patients with loss of vertical dimension of occlusion (LVDO -group III); and control subjects (group IV).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 44 individuals (age 4090 years, mean: 55.8 years) were divided into four groups: Group I (11 smokers); group II (10 hyposalivation patients); group III (10 LVDO patients); and group IV (control, 13 healthy subjects). All individuals were tested for Candida-pseudohyphae form by direct examination and for Candida spp. culture growth in samples obtained from the retrocomissural, tongue's lateral border, and hard-soft palatal mucosa.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Direct examination showed a statistically significant prevalence rate for pseudohyphae (p < 0.05) on the retrocomissural and on tongue's lateral borders of individuals with LVDO. A statistically significant (p < 0.05) culture growth for Candida spp. was found on the retrocomissural areas of those with hyposalivation and with LVDO, and on the palate mucosa and on the tongue's lateral borders in the smokers and in the individuals with LVDO when compared with those of the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While direct examination is effective for detecting pseudohyphae, LVDO and tobacco smoking seem to be factors of relevance to the development of CHC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since CHC has been linked to a high rate of malignant transformation, this study analyzes some clinical (and exogenous) factors that may contribute to the development of CHC and addresses some preventive measures to reduce its incidence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Claúdia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arruda
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Artico
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medical Investigation, Division of Dermatology School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Roseli
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medical Investigation, Division of Dermatology School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antônio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Filho
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, Disciplina de Estomatologia Clínica, Faculdade de Odontologia Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, Phone: +551130917883, e-mail: damiglia@usp.br.
authors.forename: Dante
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Migliari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002175:Candida / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000382:microbiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014716:Vertical Dimension
keywords: Candida spp.; Chronic hyperplasic candidosis; Direct examination; Pseudohyphae.