Method: Type 1 diabetic patients enrolled in a cross-sectional case control study investigating the effect of diabetes on oral health were split into better controlled and poorly controlled groups based on a median HbA1c of 8.5%. Unstimulated salivary flow was assessed by asking patients to allow saliva to drain from their mouths into a container for five minutes without swallowing. They were examined for carriage of C. albicans by undertaking an oral rinse and spiral plating for quantification. Identification and sensitivity testing was performed on the candidal isolates.
Results: There was a significantly higher carriage of C. albicans in PCD (54/88; 61%) and BCD (52/83; 63%) compared with NDC (49/101; 49%). The mean numbers of colony forming units in affected subjects for the three groups were PCD 2,994; BCD 1,283 and NDC 1,882.
Conclusion: Type 1 diabetic patients have a higher carriage rate of C. albicans in the oral cavity than non-diabetic subjects. In addition, those poorly controlled diabetic patients who carried C. albicans also had a higher density of carriage compared with both the non-diabetic subjects and the better controlled diabetic patients.
The clinical arm of this study was funded by a grant from the Chief Scientist Office, Scottish Government Health Directorates