Oral microflora in patients on hemodialysis and kidney transplant recipients

We aimed to determine oral microflora of patients on long-term hemodialysis and kidney transplant recipients, and to compare them with individuals without kidney disease.

We studied on 3 groups including patients on at least 6 months of hemodialysis, kidney transplant recipients for more than 2 years, and controls with a normal kidney function. Staining and culture were applied for samples from the dorsum of the tongue and the oral floor in order to detect aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and Candida.

The participants were 49 patients on hemodialysis, 50 kidney transplant recipients, and 50 volunteers in the control group. The abundance of Candida was significantly higher in the hemodialysis and transplant groups compared with the control group. The mean of various microorganisms was found to be significantly higher in the hemodialysis group than the control group (P = .03); however, the frequency of these microorganisms in the transplant group was lower than that in the hemodialysis group. Adjusting for confounding factors, the odds of having Candida in the hemodialysis and transplant groups were 3.54 (95% CI, 1.21 to 10.41) and 3.49 (95% CI, 1.27 to 9.18) times higher compared to the control group, respectively.

Hemodialysis and kidney transplantation could affect oral microflora. Candida was significantly more frequent in these patients compared to healthy adults. Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacilli, Porphyromonas, and Candida is seen slightly less frequently after kidney transplantation, which might be in favor of promising effects of kidney transplantation on oral microflora.