Schwab Gabriela, Palmieri Michelle, Zerbinati Rodrigo M, Sarmento Dmitry J S, Reis Thais, Ortega Karem L, Kano Italo T, Caixeta Rafael A V, Hasséus Bengt, Sapkota Dipak, Junges Roger, Giannecchini Simone, Costa André L F, Jales Sumatra M C P, Lindoso José A L, Gallo Camila Barros, Braz-Silva Paulo H
Laboratory of Virology (Lim-52-hc-fmusp), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
J Oral Microbiol. 2022 Mar 10;14(1):2047491. doi: 10.1080/20002297.2022.2047491. eCollection 2022.
COVID-19 is a disease affecting various human organs and systems, in which the virus seeks to interact with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors. These receptors are present in the oral cavity, but the direct relationship between such an interaction and possible oral manifestations of COVID-19 is still unclear.
The present study evaluated oral manifestations in a cohort of COVID-19 patients during the period of hospitalisation.
In total, 154 patients presenting moderate-to-severe forms of COVID-19 had their oral mucosa examined twice a week until the final outcome, either discharge or death. The oral alterations observed in the patients were grouped into Group 1 (pre-existing conditions and opportunistic oral lesions) and Group 2 (oral mucosal changes related to hospitalization).
Oral lesions found in the patients of Group 1 are not suggestive of SARS-CoV-2 infection as they are mainly caused by opportunistic infections. On the other hand, oral alterations found in the patients of Group 2 were statistically ( < 0.001) related to intubation and longer period of hospitalisation.
It is unlikely that ulcerative lesions in the oral cavity are a direct manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 or a marker of COVID-19 progression.
新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19）是一种影响人体多个器官和系统的疾病，该病毒试图与血管紧张素转换酶2受体相互作用。这些受体存在于口腔中，但这种相互作用与COVID-19可能的口腔表现之间的直接关系仍不清楚。
本研究评估了COVID-19患者住院期间的口腔表现。
共有154例中重度COVID-19患者，每周对其口腔黏膜检查两次，直至最终结果（出院或死亡）。将患者观察到的口腔改变分为第1组（既往病症和机会性口腔病变）和第2组（与住院相关的口腔黏膜变化）。
第1组患者中发现的口腔病变并非由严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）感染所致，主要是由机会性感染引起。另一方面，第2组患者中发现的口腔改变在统计学上（<0.001）与插管和较长住院时间有关。
口腔溃疡性病变不太可能是SARS-CoV-2的直接表现或COVID-19病情进展的标志物。
