Research progress on the relationship between Candida albicans and oral potentially malignant disorders

Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) refer to all epithelial lesions and conditions with an increased risk for malignant transformation, including oral leukoplakia, oral submucous fibrosis, oral lichen planus, erythroplakia, etc. Additionaly, oral infection of Candida albicans is considered to be closely related to the development of OPMDs. It was demonstrated in previous studies that the detection rate of Candida albicans was higher in the oral mucosa with OPMDs; in addition, Candida albicans showed high virulence by adhering to and destroying the epithelium. Moreover, Candida albicans was able to induce the immune response and cause chronic inflammation in the epithelium, producing carcinogenic products such as acetaldehyde. The factors mentioned above play a key role in the occurrence and development of OPMDs. Furthermore, the oral mucosa is highly susceptible to Candida albicans. The present review provides an introduction to the relationship between Candida albicans and OPMDs.