The effect of antiretroviral therapy on the prevalence of oral manifestations in HIV-infected patients: a UK study.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of oral manifestations in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients on monotherapy, dual therapy, or triple therapy with the prevalence of those not on antiretroviral therapy (ART).


METHODS
A cross-sectional study of the oral manifestations of HIV was carried out on 284 HIV-infected patients, 89 of whom were undergoing ART (12 on monotherapy, 41 on dual therapy, and 36 on triple therapy) and 195 who were not undergoing ART. Oral manifestations were recorded by using established presumptive clinical criteria. Chi-square statistical tests and separate bivariate analyses were conducted by using the Spearman rank correlation to describe the relationship between the prevalence of oral lesions and ART.


RESULTS
The detection of oral manifestations was significantly decreased in subjects on dual therapy and subjects on triple therapy in comparison with patients on monotherapy (P <.05) and those on no ART regimen (P =.014). Oral manifestations were also significantly increased, with CD4 counts <200 cells/mm(3) and a viral load >3000 copies/mL (P <.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Compared with the non-ART group, subjects on combination ART had significantly fewer HIV-related oral manifestations-probably as a result of an expression of their reconstituted immune system.
Tappuni
A R
AR
Department of Oral Medicine and Pathology, Guy's Hospital, Guy's, King's and St Thomas' Dental Institute, London, United Kingdom. anwar.tappuni@kcl.ac.uk
Fleming
G J
GJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000379:methods*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005892:Gingivitis, Necrotizing Ulcerative / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D017733:Leukoplakia, Hairy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015995:Prevalence; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D019562:Viral Load
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents