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Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Examination of Oral Candida Infection in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome Patients
Published on: March 1, 2024
Candida albicans binds to saliva proteins selectively adsorbed to silicone
Ann R Holmes1, Pauline van der Wielen, Richard D Cannon
1Department of Oral Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Abstract:
Explanted voice prostheses obtained from 5 patients at the time of prosthesis replacement were consistently colonized by yeast, in particular Candida albicans. A simple, reproducible, in vitro model of C. albicans adherence to saliva-coated voice prosthesis silicone was developed. Whole saliva promoted adherence of C. albicans to silicone in a dose-dependent manner. Saliva rinses from voice prosthesis patients also promoted binding of C. albicans to silicone in vitro (mean adherence 14.9% +/- 2.8% of input C. albicans cells). This was significantly higher than C. albicans adherence to silicone in the absence of saliva (P < .001) or adherence promoted by saliva rinses from healthy volunteers (P < .005). Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis and a blot overlay adherence assay revealed that certain salivary proteins were selectively adsorbed to silicone and that C. albicans yeast cells adhered specifically to the adsorbed salivary proteins.
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