Differential Mucosal Gene Expression Patterns in Candida-Associated, Chronic Oral Denture Stomatitis

Area of Science:

• Oral biology
• Immunology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Denture stomatitis is a common oral inflammation linked to Candida albicans.
• Understanding the molecular changes in palatal mucosa is crucial for managing this condition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the transcriptome of human palatal mucosa with chronic oral stomatitis-associated Candida albicans infection to that of healthy oral mucosa.
• To identify differentially expressed genes and pathways involved in denture stomatitis.

Main Methods:

• Whole transcriptome analysis of oral palatal biopsies from 17 healthy and 15 C. albicans-infected subjects.
• Confirmation of C. albicans presence via cytology and cultivation.
• Evaluation of clinical severity using the Newton Classification.
• Analysis of gene expression using microarray, with a false discovery rate (FDR) <0.05.
• Validation of specific gene expression changes through salivary protein multiplex analyses.

Main Results:

• 3034 genes were differentially expressed in C. albicans-infected mucosa (FDR <0.05).
• 235 genes were up-regulated (>2-fold) and 71 genes were down-regulated (>2-fold).
• Prominent pathways involved inflammation, immune response, T-cell signaling (CD28, CTLA), and toll-like receptor (TLR2) signaling.
• Up-regulation of inflammatory protein genes observed, with two confirmed in saliva.

Conclusions:

• Neutrophil recruitment, epithelial suppression, and T-cell activation are key pathways in chronic oral candidiasis.
• Tissue up-regulation of TLR2 pathways and C. albicans binding proteins, with down-regulation of keratin and adhesion molecules.
• Identification of potential candidate biomarkers in tissue and saliva for oral candidiasis detection.