Oral fungal infections can be caused by certain species of fungi among which candida albicans is the most implicated. Oral candidiasis is correlated with multiple conditions, such as coronavirus disease-2019, oral leukoplakia and oral erythroplakia. Tenascin is a glycoprotein and is present at the site of tissue injury and chronic inflammation, and tends to be over-expressed in cases of malignancy. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 belongs to a family of zinc-dependent endopeptidases and is involved in the degradation of extracellular matrix, leading to tissue invasion and metastasis. The current narrative review was planned to shed light on the fungal co-infections of coronavirus disease-2019 and molecular mechanisms of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and tenascin involved in the pathogenesis of fungus-associated oral leukoplakia and oral erythroplakia.
Keywords: Oral, fungal, COVID-19, Tenascin, MMP-9..