Periodontal disease and oral microbial successions during myelosuppressive cancer chemotherapy*

Abstract

Factors contributing to the succession of opportunistic pathogens at oral sites, including the periodontium, during myelosuppressive chemotherapy are poorly understood. This study examined the relation of periodontal disease to qualitative and proportional shifts in the oral microflora of 21 acute nonlymphocytic leukemia patients (7 male and 14 female, mean age (range) = 51.0 (25-81 years) observed during standardized myelosuppressive regimens. Supra- and subgingival microbial plaque specimens were individually collected from 2 contralateral oral sites (distobuccal of teeth 1-6 and 3-6) in each participant at hospital admission (day 1) and during point of maximal myelosuppression (day 14). Periodontal disease indices obtained at day 1 included site-specific measures of attachment loss and clinical assessment of disease status. Using a residualized change score analysis, periodontal disease status and attachment loss were positively correlated with increases in the proportional recovery of Staphylococcus sp. from supragingival sites and total yeast from supra- and subgingival sites. When age-related covariation in the microbial shifts was controlled in the analysis, periodontal disease status and attachment loss demonstrated no significant correlation with increases in total yeast at supragingival sites. These findings suggest that host factors such as periodontal disease may contribute to patterns of oral microbial successions during cancer chemotherapy.