Association between Oral Candida and Bacteriome in Children with Severe ECC

Abstract

Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungal organism frequently detected in the oral cavity of children with severe early childhood caries (S-ECC). Previous studies suggested the cariogenic potential of C. albicans, in vitro and in vivo, and further demonstrated its synergistic interactions with Streptococcus mutans. In combination, the 2 organisms are associated with higher caries severity in a rodent model. However, it remains unknown whether C. albicans influences the composition and diversity of the entire oral bacterial community to promote S-ECC onset. With 16s rRNA amplicon sequencing, this study analyzed the microbiota of saliva and supragingival plaque from 39 children (21 S-ECC and 18 caries-free [CF]) and 33 mothers (17 S-ECC and 16 CF). The results revealed that the presence of oral C. albicans is associated with a highly acidogenic and acid-tolerant bacterial community in S-ECC, with an increased abundance of plaque Streptococcus (particularly S. mutans) and certain Lactobacillus/Scardovia species and salivary/plaque Veillonella and Prevotella, as well as decreased levels of salivary/plaque Actinomyces. Concurrent with this microbial community assembly, the activity of glucosyltransferases (cariogenic virulence factors secreted by S. mutans) in plaque was significantly elevated when C. albicans was present. Moreover, the oral microbial community composition and diversity differed significantly by disease group (CF vs. S-ECC) and sample source (saliva vs. plaque). Children and mothers within the CF and S-ECC groups shared microbiota composition and diversity, suggesting a strong maternal influence on children's oral microbiota. Altogether, this study underscores the importance of C. albicans in association with the oral bacteriome in the context of S-ECC etiopathogenesis. Further longitudinal studies are warranted to examine how fungal-bacterial interactions modulate the onset and severity of S-ECC, potentially leading to novel anticaries treatments that address fungal contributions.

The salivary microbiota in health and disease

“…Recently, two NGS-based studies performed a cross-sectional comparison of SM in patients with SECC and children <5 yrs. Without caries, and both studies reported caries-associated characteristics of SM [50,51]. Notably, co-analysis of Candida albicans demonstrated that carriage of C. albicans in children with SECC attenuated the differences observed [51].…”

Candida biome of severe early childhood caries (S-ECC) and its cariogenic virulence traits

“…It is generally recognized that the mutans-group streptococci are the prime movers of the caries process due to their acidogenic and aciduric nature [10]. However, several studies have now shown that the aciduric oral yeasts, mainly belonging to Candida species, frequently co-inhabit these lesions with mutansstreptococci, and significantly contribute to the caries process [11][12][13][14]. There is also a substantial body of data to indicate cross-kingdom synergistic, interactions between this fungus and cariogenic CONTACT Lakshman Perera Samaranayake lsamaranayake@sharjah.ac.ae M28-125, College of Dental Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, UAE bacteria within such polymicrobial-biofilm habitats [15,16] making the eukaryote a candidate caries pathogen.…”

Actividad antifúngica in vitro del extracto crudo diluido del veneno de escorpión Hadruroides charcasus (Karsch 1879) frente a Candida albicans

“…albicans, un organismo fúngico oportunista detectado con frecuencia en cavidad oral de niños con caries severas en primera infancia, puede presentar evolución aguda o crónica dependiendo de factores predisponentes, como estomatitis protética, queilitis angular, glositis romboidal y lengua vellosa. 21,22 Aunque las opciones de tratamiento son un proble-ma importante sobre todo por la toxicidad de los antifúngicos al hospedero y la resistencia que pueden ofrecer los microorganismos, frente a ello ha surgido el interés por la búsqueda de principios bioactivos a partir del veneno de arácnidos que ofrezcan mayor capacidad antimicrobiana, en la actualidad se tiene resultados que el veneno de es-corpión contiene péptidos que exhiben propiedades antimicrobianas y que además puede retardar la propagación de células cancerosas. 23,24 El veneno de escorpión H. charcasus perteneciente a la familia Caraboctonidae 16 , una de las especies de escorpiones que habitan en el norte del Perú.…”