Oral health status after hematopoietic stem cell transplantations: Outcomes from an adult Italian population

Abstract

Aim: To describe oral cavity changes in patients who underwent a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

Methods and results: A group of 32 patients was studied after a mean period of 48.8 months (±11.22) from HSCT; oral, dental, and periodontal status were collected and compared with those of healthy matched controls. Unstimulated whole salivary flow (UWS) and salivary pH were also measured. A validated questionnaire (EORTC QLQH&N-35) was used for reported quality of life. Fifty-nine percent of patients were affected by chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). Dental health and periodontal status were statistically worse than in controls (P = .003 and P = .008, respectively). Regarding the HSCT group, UWS was statistically lower, and EORTC QLQH&N-35 significantly higher than those reported in controls (P = .000 for both). There was no statistical correlation between hypo-salivation and conditioning, presence of cGVHD, type of medication used before and after transplantation, and time of follow-up. A reduction in salivary pH has been noted only for patients with erosive oral lesions.

Conclusion: The oral cavity of HSCT patients appeared to undergo substantial modifications and the quality of life was deeply compromised.

Keywords: hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; hyposalivation; oral graft-versus-host disease; oral health; oral status.