OBJECTIVEThe objective of this study is to study the distribution and molecular characteristics of the oral Saccharomyces albicans (S. albicans) in the cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

METHODS390 cancer patients receiving chemotherapy were sampled by oral mucosal swab. The Candida species were identified by CHROMagar Candida differential medium. All the S. albicans were genotypic grouped by PCR using primers reported to span a transposable intron region in the 25S rDNA gene.

RESULTSThe frequency of oral Candida carriage of the cancer patients receiving chemotherapy was 53.85% (210/390). Most of them were Saccharomyces albicans, the frequency was 48.21% (188/390). The frequency of oral Candida glabrata carriage was 5.64% (22/390). Genotypic subgroup A, B, C of Saccharomyces albicans were determined, and genotypic group B was the predominant group 59.57% (112/188).

CONCLUSIONSaccharomyces albicans, especially genotypic subgroup B, rather than subgroup A, is the prevalence subpopulation in the oral Candida obtained from cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.