title: HIV infection: oral lesions, CD4+ cell count and viral load in an Italian study population.
abstract: The aims of this study were to assess types and prevalence of HIV-related oral lesions and to correlate these lesions to the main laboratory parameters such as CD4+ cell count and plasma HIV-RNA. The study population consisted of 104 consecutive HIV+ patients living in Sicily (M=67, 64.4%; F=37, 35.6%; median age=35 years). CD4+ cell count and viral load were measured within 24 h of oral examination. Data were managed and analysed by Epi-Info 6.0. HIV-related oral lesions, as classified by the EC-Clearinghouse, were diagnosed in 35.6% of patients: these were of the Strongly Associated (SA) type in 22.1%, the Less Common Associated (LCA) type in 12.5%, and the Lesions Seen in HIV Infection (LS) type in 3.8%. CD4+ cell counts <200 x 10(6)/l were significantly associated only with SA lesions (P=0.03); median values of CD4+ cell count were also significantly correlated (P=0.02). Viral load, expressed both by median values of copies/ml (P=0.0001) and log10 copies/ml (P=0.0003), was significantly associated only with SA lesions. Treatment failure was significantly correlated to SA lesions (P=0.04). Besides the confirmed correlation with CD4 depletion, the strong association with a high level of viral load could make SA oral lesions a useful tool for identifying progression of HIV infection and could be of value in monitoring antiretroviral therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, University of Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Margiotta
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Campisi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mancuso
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Accurso
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Abbadessa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003218:Condylomata Acuminata / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D017733:Leukoplakia, Hairy / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008548:Melanosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012802:Sicily / Q000453:epidemiology; D013281:Stomatitis, Aphthous / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D017211:Treatment Failure; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral