RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: This paper aimed to identify and quantify Candida on head and neck irradiated patients with two comparative elderly populations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Saliva was sampled from 29 head and neck irradiated patients (group 1) 34 non-institutionalized elderly patients (group 2) and 29 institutionalized elders (group 3) and matched by age. For quantification, the obtained saliva was sewed on CHROMagar Candida(®), which was used also for presumptive identification of Candida, API 20C AUX(®), microculture and RAPD (OPE-18) were used for the final identification. RESULTS: Among the 92 patients surveyed, 51 (55.4%) had scores classified as positive for Candida, and among individuals of groups 1 and 3, 58.6% had Candida. There was higher positive/carrier conditions (CFU/sample) in groups 1 and 3, comparing with group 2 (P=0.011). Gender was not associated with Candida portability (P=0.334). Candida portability was significantly associated with the presence of candidosis (P=0.031) and xerostomic state (P=0.007). The isolates and definitive confirmed colonies were Candida albicans, Candida dubliniensis, Candida tropicalis, Candida krusei, Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis, Candida guilliermondii, Candida lusitaniae, and Candida kefyr. Among the species identified, C. albicans was the most frequent, followed by C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis and C. glabrata. C. albicans was more prevalent in group 2 and 3, 45% and 41.2%, respectively, whereas, the most prevalent species in group 1 were C. tropicalis (27%), C. albicans and C. parapsilosis (16.2% for both). On multiple statistical models, only radiotherapic treatment was associated with positiveness to Candida. CONCLUSIONS: Diversification and major prevalence of non-albicans species were observed in irradiated patients on head and neck and this treatment is straightly associated with fungus positiveness.