Study of the Coexistence of Helicobacter pylori and Candida in the Saliva of Patients with Dyspepsia

Helicobacter pylori, a gram negative microaerophilic bacterium, is known to cause gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric adenocarcinoma. An extragastric reservoir of this bacterium can cause recurrent infection in treated patients. The oral cavity is considered an important extragastric reservoir owing to the favorable milieu in subgingival areas and the symbiotic association between H. pylori and Candida, a common conunensal organism in the oral cavity. Objectives: To evaluate the presence of H. pylori and Candida in the saliva of patients with chronic gastritis. Methods: The study comprised subjects with H. pylori-positive gastritis (Group I n = 30), subjects with H. pyolori negative gastritis (Group II, n = 30) and normal controls without gastritis (Group III, n = 10). Unstimulated saliva (whole mouth fluid) samples were collected and subjected to real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis for detecting the Urease A gene of H. pylori. Sabouraud's dextrose agar was used to detect the presence of Candida species. Results: Overall, 7 (23.3%) and 4 (13.3%) patients from Group I and Group II, respectively, were positive for oral H. Pylori, whereas 14 (46.6%) and 8 (26.6%) patients from Group I and Group II, respectively, exhibited oral Candida. Four patients (13.3%) from Group I exhibited both oral H. pylori and Candida. Conclusion: H. pylori and Candida in the oral cavity could potentially influence H. pylori recolonization of the gastric mucosa leading to recurrent gastritis.