[Oral Candida in Mexican children with malnutrition, social marginalization, or HIV/AIDS]

Area of Science:

• Medical Mycology
• Pediatric Infectious Diseases
• Public Health Nutrition

Background:

• Oral candidal colonization is a potential indicator of compromised immunity in children.
• Opportunistic fungal infections pose significant risks to vulnerable pediatric populations, particularly those with underlying health conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of Candida species in the oral cavities of at-risk children.
• To investigate the association between oral Candida colonization and specific risk factors in pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving four infant groups in Mexico: HIV/AIDS, malnourished, indigenous (Tarahumara), and a healthy control group.
• Oral mucosal swabs were collected and cultured on Sabouraud dextrose agar and Candida CHROMagar®, with species identification using API ID32C.
• Immunological and virological status (for HIV/AIDS) and nutritional status (for malnutrition) were assessed using established criteria.

Main Results:

• Higher frequencies of Candida species were observed in children with HIV/AIDS (51.7%) and malnutrition (38.2%).
• Oral candidal colonization in the indigenous and control groups was significantly lower (17.5% and 10.3%, respectively).
• The malnutrition group exhibited the highest diversity of Candida species, including C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. krusei, and C. glabrata.

Conclusions:

• Children with HIV/AIDS and malnutrition exhibit increased oral Candida colonization.
• These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to mitigate oral fungal colonization and prevent opportunistic infections in these high-risk pediatric groups.