Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Total bacterial counts on oral mucosa after using a commercial saliva substitute in patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
Supportive Care in Cancer Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The commercial saliva substitute Oralbalance® has been reported to alleviate symptoms of postradiotherapy xerostomia in head and neck cancer patients. Oralbalance® may also be effective for xerostomia in patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) with high-dose chemotherapy and total-body irradiation. However, HCT patients are in a severely compromised condition, and saliva substitute must not promote infection. We reported previously that Oralbalance® has antimicrobial effects against microbial species detected during HCT in vitro. This study was performed to determine the in vivo effects of Oralbalance® on oral mucosal total bacterial counts in patients undergoing HCT.

Methods

A total of 18 neutropenic patients undergoing HCT were enrolled in this study. Before and after 1 week of Oralbalance® use, bacterial samples were obtained from patients by wiping an area of ϕ1 cm on the buccal mucosa with sterilized cotton swabs. Total bacterial counts of the obtained samples were examined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction amplification of the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene. As controls, bacterial samples were also obtained from ten healthy subjects, and total bacterial counts were examined.

Results

No significant increase in bacterial count was observed with use of Oralbalance®. None of the patients showed bacterial counts above the range found in healthy controls after using Oralbalance®.

Conclusions

In neutropenic patients undergoing HCT, Oralbalance® did not increase the total counts of oral mucosal bacteria beyond the range found in healthy controls. Oral care using Oralbalance® may alleviate the symptoms induced by hyposalivation without promoting infection.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

References

  1. Shahdad SA, Taylor C, Barclay SC, Steen IN, Preshaw PM (2005) A double-blind, crossover study of Biotene Oralbalance and BioXtra systems as salivary substitutes in patients with post-radiotherapy xerostomia. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl) 14:319–326

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Warde P, Kroll B, O'Sullivan B, Aslanidis J, Tew-George E, Waldron J, Maxymiw W, Liu FF, Payne D, Cummings B (2000) A phase II study of Biotene in the treatment of postradiation xerostomia in patients with head and neck cancer. Support Care Cancer 8:203–208

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Sugiura Y, Soga Y, Tanimoto I, Kokeguchi S, Nishide S, Kono K, Takahashi K, Fujii N, Ishimaru F, Tanimoto M, Yamabe K, Tsutani S, Nishimura F, Takashiba S (2008) Antimicrobial effects of the saliva substitute, Oralbalance®, against microorganisms from oral mucosa in the hematopoietic cell transplantation period. Support Care Cancer 16:421–424

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Maeda H, Fujimoto C, Haruki Y, Maeda T, Kokeguchi S, Petelin M, Arai H, Tanimoto I, Nishimura F, Takashiba S (2003) Quantitative real-time PCR using TaqMan and SYBR Green for Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, tetQ gene and total bacteria. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 39:81–86

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Harper-Owen R, Dymock D, Booth V, Weightman AJ, Wade WG (1999) Detection of unculturable bacteria in periodontal health and disease by PCR. J Clin Microbiol 37:1469–1473

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Slots J, Ashimoto A, Flynn MJ, Li G, Chen C (1995) Detection of putative periodontal pathogens in subgingival specimens by 16 S ribosomal DNA amplification with the polymerase chain reaction. Clin Infect Dis 20:304–307

    Google Scholar 

  7. Brandtzaeg P (1989) Salivary immunoglobulins. In: Tenovuo J (ed) Human saliva: clinical chemistry and microbiology, Vol. II. CRC, Boca Raton, pp 1–54

    Google Scholar 

  8. Tenovuo J (1998) Antimicrobial function of human saliva—how important is it for oral health? Acta Odontol Scand 56:250–256

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

This study was partly supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (Start-up; 20890138), Grant-in-Aid for Encouragement of Scientists (21933014) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and the Scholarship Fund donated by the T&K Corporation, Tokyo, Japan. The T&K Corporation is the exclusive agent of Biotene® products including Oralbalance® (Laclede, Inc., Rancho Dominguez, CA, USA) in Japan. Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences approved this private scholarship fund.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Fumihiko Ishimaru

    Present address: Okayama Red Cross Blood Center, Okayama, Japan

  2. Fusanori Nishimura

    Present address: Department of Dental Science for Health Promotion, Division of Cervico-Gnathostomatology, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathophysiology–Periodontal Science, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Okayama, 700-8525, Japan

    Yuko Sugiura, Yoshihiko Soga, Kokoro Yamabe, Soichiro Tsutani, Ichiro Tanimoto, Hiroshi Maeda, Fusanori Nishimura & Shogo Takashiba

  2. Department of Global Health and Environmental Sciences–Oral Microbiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan

    Susumu Kokeguchi

  3. Department of Hematology, Oncology and Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan

    Nobuharu Fujii, Fumihiko Ishimaru & Mitsune Tanimoto

Authors
  1. Yuko Sugiura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yoshihiko Soga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kokoro Yamabe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Soichiro Tsutani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ichiro Tanimoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Hiroshi Maeda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Susumu Kokeguchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Nobuharu Fujii
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Fumihiko Ishimaru
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Mitsune Tanimoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Fusanori Nishimura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Shogo Takashiba
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shogo Takashiba.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sugiura, Y., Soga, Y., Yamabe, K. et al. Total bacterial counts on oral mucosa after using a commercial saliva substitute in patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation. Support Care Cancer 18, 395–398 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-009-0789-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-009-0789-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation