Oral HIV-I recovery in the presence of periodontal disease.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether a significant association occurs between the presence of various periodontal diseases and recoverable infectious HIV-I in the saliva of injecting drug users.


METHODS
Five hundred and fifty-one injecting drug users were recruited from various programs associated with the Beth Israel Medical Center. Examiners were 'blinded' to the subject's HIV-I serostatus. A socio-economic and risk factors' survey was conducted and a complete oral examination, including periodontal disease indices was performed. Whole saliva and blood were collected for virus culture.


METHODS
Recovery of infectious HIV-I in saliva related to presence of periodontal diseases.


RESULTS
Those HIV-I seropositive subjects with periodontal diseases did not differ from those HIV-I seropositive subjects without periodontal disease in mean age and immune status. Less than 1% of the HIV-I seropositive subjects had cultivable HIV-I in their saliva while it was present in 78% of PBMCs and 35% of the sera. There was no significant association between infectious HIV-I in saliva, serum, or PBMCs and any of the various periodontal diseases.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of periodontal disease in HIV-I seropositive injecting drug users does not appear to be a potential risk factor for infectious HIV-I in saliva, probably due to the various anti-viral components of saliva.
Barr
C E
CE
Department of Dental Medicine, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York 10003, USA.
Qureshi
M N
MN
Qiu
Z
Z
Kaim
J
J
Zhang
W
W
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012463:Saliva / Q000821:virology*; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology