The in vitro adhesion of Candida albicans to buccal epithelial cells (BEC) from diabetic and non‐diabetic individuals after in vivo and in vitro application of nystatin

Buccal epithelial cells (BEC) from 12 patients with diabetes mellitus and 12 age- and sex-matched non-diabetic subjects were tested in vitro for adhesion of Candida albicans following exposure to nystatin both in vitro and in vivo. Adhesion was significantly reduced (P < 0.002) to cells from both the diabetic and non-diabetic subjects after in vitro exposure to nystatin, but the reduction in adhesion was variable (5.0-50.7% in control subjects and 0.5-48.4% in diabetic subjects) and equivalent between the two groups. In vivo exposure to nystatin produced no overall significant reduction in candidal adhesion to cells from either diabetic or control subjects.