Effect of erythrosine- and LED-mediated photodynamic therapy on buccal candidiasis infection of immunosuppressed mice and Candida albicans adherence to buccal epithelial cells.

OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT) on buccal candidiasis in mice and on the adherence of yeast to buccal epithelial cells (BECs) in vitro. STUDY DESIGN A total of 56 immunosuppressed mice with buccal candidiasis were subjected to PDT, consisting of treatment with erythrosine (400 μmol/L) followed by exposure to a green LED (14.34 J cm(-2)). After treatment, the yeasts recovered from the mice were quantified (CFU/mL) and analyzed for the effects of PDT on their adherence to BECs. The data were analyzed using ANOVA, the Tukey test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Student t test. RESULTS PDT significantly reduced the amount of yeast present in the lesions by 0.73 log(10) (P = .018) and reduced C. albicans adherence to BECs by 35% without damaging adjacent tissues (P = .045). CONCLUSIONS Photodynamic therapy exhibited antifungal effects against C. albicans biofilms formed in vivo and reduced the capacity of C. albicans to adhere to BECs in vitro.