The oral ecology of patients with severe Sjögren's syndrome.

An investigation of the commensal microflora, salivary flow rate, pH, and the degree of atrophy of the oral mucosa in ten patients with severe Sjögren's syndrome and ten control subjects, revealed a number of differences. The numbers of Streptococcus salivarius, Neisseria pharyngis, Veillonella species and Micrococcus mucilagenosus isolated from patients with Sjögren's syndrome were significantly reduced, while the numbers of Candida spp. and Staphylococcus aureus were significantly increased when compared with control subjects. In addition the salivary pH of the Sjögren's group was significantly reduced and the degree of mucosal atrophy increased compared with controls.