Candida Dubliniensis in Dental Plaque of ECC Affected Children

The yeasts of the Candida genus represent an important part of the normal oral microflora, including dental plaque. Their ability to produce organic acids during the fermentation of carbohydrates partakes in cariogenic effects of dental plaque. The most common yeast in the oral cavity is Candida albicans but Candida dubliniensis has been also isolated relatively often from this location, especially in immunocompromised HIV+ patients. Its prevalence is, however, highly variable. The study aims to evaluate the occurrence of C. dubliniensis in the dental plaque samples obtained from children affected by Early Childhood Caries (ECC), and to assess reliability of methods used for the differentiation between C.dubliniensis and C.albicans. In this study, 308 samples from the ECC suffering and healthy children were examined. The species identification was established using morphological characteristics, characteristic growth on CHROM Agar and Staib Agar, growth at 45°C, assimilation tests ID 32C and latex agglutination as well as genotypic method PCR-RFLP. We have identified 16 strains (14,5%) of C.dubliniensis from the total amount of 110 isolated strains. All the C.dubliniensis isolates originated from ECC patients. The number of C.albicans represents 77,3% (85) of isolates. Conclusion. C.dubliniensis is a frequent part of the dental plaque in ECC affected children. PCR-RFLP and latex agglutination are more suitable for the differentiation between C.dubliniensis and C.albicans if compared with the other methods used. Keywords: oral microbiology, ECC, pedodontics, dental plaque, yeasts, candida albicans, candida dubliniensis, phenotypic methods, genotypic methods