Open Peer Review Discuss this article (0) Comments RESEARCH ARTICLE Relationship between and Candida albicans Streptococcus in early childhood caries, evaluated by quantitative PCR mutans [version 1; referees: 1 approved] Endang W. Bachtiar , Boy M. Bachtiar Oral Biology and Oral Science Research Center Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, 10430, Indonesia Abstract The aim of this study was to analyze the synergistic relationship Background: between and in children with early Candida albicans Streptococcus mutans childhood caries (ECC) experience. Dental plaque and unstimulated saliva samples were taken from 30 Methods: subjects aged 3-5 years old, half with (n=15, dmft > 4) and half without (n=15) ECC. The abundance of and and relative to total bacteria C. albicans S. mutans load were quantify by real-time PCR (qPCR). This method was also employed to investigate the mRNA expression of glycosyltransferase ( ) gene in dental gtfB plaque. Student’s t-test and Pearson’s correlation were used to perform statistical analysis. Within the ECC group, the quantity of both microorganisms were Results: higher in the saliva than in dental plaque. The ratio of to total C. albicans bacteria was higher in saliva than in plaque samples (p < 0.05). We observed the opposite for (p < 0.05). The different value of and S. mutans C. albicans S. in saliva was positively correlated, and negatively correlated in dental mutans plaque. Transcription level of showed a positive correlation with S. mutans gtfB concentration in dental plaque. C. albicans has a positive correlation with cariogenic traits of Conclusion: C. albicans S. in ECC-related biofilm of young children. mutans Keywords Early childhood caries, C.albicans/ S. mutans, Saliva, Dental plaque, qPCR, Indonesian Referee Status: Invited Referees version 1 published 16 Oct 2018 1 report , National Zamirah Zainal-Abidin University of Malaysia (UKM), Malaysia 1 16 Oct 2018, :1645 ( First published: 7 ) https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.16275.1 16 Oct 2018, :1645 ( Latest published: 7 ) https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.16275.1 v1 Page 1 of 11 F1000Research 2018, 7:1645 Last updated: 31 OCT 2018