Diabetes Duration as an Independent Risk Factor for Trichomonas Tenax Colonization: A Significant Association in Oral Protozoan Infections

Purpose: While diabetes mellitus is recognized as modifying oral microbial ecology, specific temporal relationships between disease chronicity and eukaryotic parasite colonization remain poorly characterized. This study identifies diabetes duration as a significant, independent predictor of Trichomonas tenax infection in a North African diabetic cohort. 
Materials and Methods: Among 131 diabetic participants from a 155-person case-control study, we analyzed relationships between diabetes duration categories (≤5, >5–≤10, >10–≤15, and >15 years) and oral protozoan detection via dry smear microscopy. Chi-square tests assessed associations, with multivariate considerations for confounding factors. 
Results: Diabetes duration demonstrated significant association with T. tenax presence (χ²₌14.904, P₌0.002). T. tenax prevalence increased progressively with disease chronicity: 2.9% (≤5 years), 2.9% (>5–≤10years), 9.5% (>10–≤15 years), and 8.6% (>15 years). Conversely, Entamoeba gingivalis showed inverse pattern, highest in recent-onset diabetes (28.6% ≤5 years) declining to 10.5% (>15 years). No other demographic, behavioral, or clinical parameter achieved statistical significance. 
Conclusion: Prolonged diabetes duration specifically predisposes to T. tenax colonization, suggesting species-specific adaptation to chronic diabetic oral environment. This finding challenge undifferentiated conceptions of oral protozoan risk and supports temporal 
stratification in diabetic oral care protocols. (Open J Biomed Res 2024;3:26-30)