Association of asymptomatic oral candidal carriage, oral candidiasis and CD4 lymphocyte count in HIV-positive patients in China.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the prevalence of asymptomatic oral candidal carriage in healthy volunteers with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients in China, as well as to investigate the relationship between CD4+ lymphocyte count and oral candidal colonization or oral candidiasis.


METHODS
Oral candidal carriage and oral candidiasis were investigated in 101 patients with HIV-infection seen at Youan Hospital, Beijing, China. Two hundred and seventeen healthy volunteers were involved as a control. Culture from saliva was used to test for the presence of oral Candida. CD4+ lymphocyte count was measured by flow cytometry. All data were analyzed statistically by SAS.


RESULTS
Asymptomatic oral candidal carriage rate (28.6%) in HIV-positive group was similar to that in the healthy group (18.0%; P = 0.07). No significant difference in CD4+ lymphocyte count was found between oral Candida carriers and non-carriers among HIV-positive subjects (P = 0.89). However, the frequency of oral candidiasis increased with the decrease in CD4+ lymphocyte count (P < 0.0001), and pseudomembranous candidiasis was predominant in HIV-positive patients with CD4+ <200 cells microl(-1) (66.7%).


CONCLUSIONS
In HIV-positive subjects, asymptomatic oral candidal colonization is not related to CD4+ lymphocyte count of blood, and the carriage rate is similar to that in the healthy population. Oral candidiasis is more likely to be observed in HIV-positive patients who have a low CD4+ lymphocyte count.
Liu
X
X
School of Stomatology, Peking University, Beijing, China.
Liu
H
H
Guo
Z
Z
Luan
W
W
D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002175:Candida / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric