Oral cavity fungal flora among HIV-positive people

Immunosuppressed patients, also those who are HIV-positive patients, are susceptible to oral cavity fungal infections.

In this study, we aimed to show differences in qualitative composition of oral cavity flora between HIV-positive people and healthy controls and identify factors which affect fungal oral cavity flora.

The study group contained HIV-positive people and a control group of healthy people. All cultured species were analysed using MALDI-TOF MS.

More HIV-positive people had two or more fungus species present than controls (p=0.008). Seven species were cultured in the study group compared to three in the control group. Smoking was associated with higher prevalence of C. albicans (p=0.03), C. glabrata (p=0.026), C. tropicalis (p=0.01). Dental prosthesis or braces was also associated with presence of more species (p=0.04).The lower level of lymphocytes CD4+ was not associated with fungus presence in oral cavity.

HIV infection is associated with changes to oral cavity fungal flora. Given the higher number of non-albicans species among HIV-positive patients it is important to individually choose a treatment for such patients' fungal infections. Proper oral hygene and not smoking can reduce prevalence of fungi in oral cavity. Patients' immunological status did not have an impact on the frequency of Candida species isolation from the oral cavity.