Mechanism of oral mucositis caused by high-dose chemotherapy

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K19294
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 57070:Developmental dentistry-related
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: Morikawa Yuko (森川優子) 岡山大学, 大学病院, 医員 (70803188)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 小児がん / 大量化学療法 / Streptococcus mutans

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Saliva samples were collected from children before and again three months after undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and PCR analysis revealed the presence of multiple bacterial species in the oral cavity in the post-transplant period as compared to before HSCT. In addition, Streptococcus mutans organisms were isolated from those samples and their caries pathogenicity was investigated, which showed a low level up to three months following transplantation. These results suggested that HSCT leads to a drastic change in oral condition.

Free Research Field

小児歯科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

大量化学療法による全身状態の変化や長期にわたる抗生剤の投与によって口腔内の状況が変化し、口腔内細菌叢が変化したと考えられる。このことから、口腔粘膜障害はこの変化によって引き起こされていると考えられる。また、移植後の口腔内の状態は移植直前直後よりもう蝕や歯周疾患のリスクが高くなっている可能性が高いことが示された。このことから、大量化学療法後は長期的な口腔内管理が必要であることが明らかとなった。