Carriage of Candida species in oral cavities of HIV infected patients in South India.

Fifty-four patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection were studied to assess the load of oral carriage of Candida spp. The mean oral Candida carriage density (30,305.93 +/- 56,643.93 CFU ml(-1)) in HIV patients was significantly higher than that seen in the control population (93.48 +/- 358.48 CFU ml(-1); P = 0.000). The mean Candida load in HIV patients with oral thrush (46,591.43 +/- 65,002.57 CFU ml(-1)) was significantly higher than in the HIV subjects without oral thrush (306.32 +/- 699.50 CFU ml(-1); P = 0.000). Non-C. albicans Candida species (56%) were more predominant than the C. albicans (44%) isolates. 25S rDNA PCR analysis of C. albicans revealed preponderance of genotype A strains. Interestingly, 42.6% of rinse specimens grew multiple Candida species, with the combination of C. albicans and C. krusei (39.1%) being the most frequent.