Coaggregation of oral Candida isolates with bacteria from bone marrow transplant recipients.

In vitro coaggregation between Candida species isolated from immunosuppressed bone marrow transplant recipients and oral bacteria was investigated. Each Candida strain showed a different pattern of coaggregation with the 22 bacterial strains studied. Two strains of Lactobacillus amylovorus isolated from separate bone marrow transplant patients and Fusobacterium nucleatum (VPI 10197) coaggregated with all Candida strains. Ten bacterial strains showed no coaggregation with the Candida strains. A variety of inhibition patterns were observed when coaggregating strains were first incubated with various sugars or subjected to heat treatment. Positive and negative results were generally consistent with all Candida strains. On the basis of the culture characteristics of the oral rinse specimens, relationships between the colonization of bacteria and yeasts and in vitro coaggregation were suggested.