Abstract

Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) is an autosomal recessive disease exceptionally common in Finland. It is associated with a limited T lymphocyte defect, an autoimmune response to various tissues, particularly endocrine glands. Most patients have chronic oral candidosis, which has been suggested to be carcinogenic. In Finland 92 patients have been diagnosed with APECED and 66 of them are alive. Our aim was to study the possible association of APECED with oral and oesophageal carcinoma. We evaluated the medical histories of all 92 patients for morbidity, causes of death, and known risk factors for oral cancer. We invited all current patients for a clinical examination of their oral mucosa. Six of the 92 had developed oral or oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) by the mean age of 37 (29-44years) and four of them had died from it. The six represent 10% of the patients older than 25years. Five of the six patients had long-lasting oral candidosis. Four of the six had smoked regularly for 15years or more. One patient had been on immunosuppressive therapy for 6years following kidney transplantation when SCC in her mouth occurred. The partial T cell defect of APECED seems to favour the growth of Candida albicans and predispose to chronic mucositis and SCC. Aggressive control of oral candidosis and close follow-up of oral mucosa is a necessity in patients with APECED.