In vitro evaluation of Candida albicans adherence to soft denture-lining materials

The adherence of Candida albicans to seven commercial soft denture-lining materials was studied in vitro with BCA protein assay reagent. A good correlation was observed between the amount of protein in yeast cells and the number of yeasts (r = 0.993, p < 0.01), and it was revealed that the adherence of C. albicans to bare surfaces of these soft denture-lining materials correlated well with their relative hydrophobic properties (r = 0.905, p < 0.01); thus there was consistency with the thermodynamic theory. These results combined corroborated the accuracy of this method. To know the effect of pellicle on fungal adherence, the adherence of C. albicans to saliva-coated samples was examined. It was revealed that neither the amount of protein adsorbed by substrates nor the adherence of yeast to saliva-coated substrates correlated with the relative hydrophobic properties of these samples, suggesting that factors other than hydrophobic interaction play an important role in the adherence of C. albicans to pellicle-coated soft liners and tissue conditioners.