[In vitro study of oral Candida albicans in virulence from HIV-positive individuals].

Objective: To study the influence of Candida albicans on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive individuals susceptible to oral candidiasis.

Methods: In vitro secreted aspartyl proteinase activities, adhesion to healthy buccal epithelial cells of Candida albicans isolates from oral cavities of subjects with and without HIV infection were measured.

Results: The pathogenetic isolates of Candida albicans from HIV-positive patients were significantly lower than that from HIV-negative subjects (P < 0.01) in secreted aspartyl proteinase activities and adhesion to buccal epithelial cells. There was no difference in commensals between these two groups. In the HIV-positive group, no difference was found between the pathogenetics and the commensals. However, in the HIV-negative group, the virulence of the pathogen was significantly higher than the commensals (P < 0.01).

Conclusions: These results indicate that oral candidiasis was not correlated with some predominant strains of Candida albicans with higher virulence in HIV-positive subjects.