Evaluation of proteinase and phospholipase activity of Candida albicans strains isolated from the mouth of patients with controlled and uncontrolled diabetes mellitus in Qazvin province

Pathophysiological changes in the mouth of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) predispose to overgrowth of Candida albicans. Various virulence factors such as proteinase and phospholipase production are involved in the process of degradation of the host cell membrane. These enzymes are involved in binding Candida species, especially in the hyphae stage, to the target tissue. In this study, the proteinase and phospholipase activity of 51 C. albicans strains was evaluated. Overall, the rates of proteolytic and phospholipase activities in controlled and uncontrolled diabetic patients were 90.2% and 72.5%, respectively. No significant difference was observed between proteinase and phospholipase activities in both groups of patients (P>0.05), while there was a significant difference between the activity of hydrolytic enzymes with HbA1C and dentures in the uncontrolled diabetic group (P<0.05). According to the importance of hydrolytic enzymes activity of C. albicans species in diabetic patients, oral health of diabetic patients to control and prevent disease progression in these patients is essential.