Elevated IgA salivary antibody levels to mycobacterial 65 kDa stress protein in patients with oral candidosis.

Salivary IgA antibody levels to cytoplasmic protein extract of Candida albicans (CSE) and to mycobacterial 65 kDa stress protein (mSP65) were determined by ELISA in 25 patients with chronic atrophic oral candidosis and in 23 controls with clinically healthy oral mucosa. The results showed significantly elevated anti-CSE and anti-mSP65 antibody levels in patients when compared with healthy controls (P < 0.001). A statistically significant relationship was found between salivary antibody titres to CSE but not to mSP65 and C. albicans colony counts in patients with oral candidosis.