Oral manifestations of HIV infection in patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in Bahia, Brazil.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated the oral manifestations of HIV-infected patients in Salvador, Brazil, and their relationship to immunologic, sociodemographic, and therapeutic factors.


METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study that used data from adult patients' medical records in the dentistry service of the AIDS Reference Center in Salvador, Brazil. We reviewed the patients' records to collect information concerning oral health status and data on socioeconomic status, immunologic status, and treatment.


RESULTS
A total of 993 patients were included in the study, of whom 473 (47.6 percent) were male. Approximately 5.5 percent of the patients presented with any oral lesions. Oral lesions were the most common in the patients with fewer than 350 CD4+ T lymphocytes (8.4 percent) and with viral loads greater than 10,000 copies (8.3 percent).


CONCLUSIONS
Our study shows that lesions are more common in patients with advanced immune suppression and low level of schooling. Oral candidiasis and angular chelitis were the most common lesions seen.
da Silva
Carlos Alberto Lima
CA
Instituto de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal de Bahia, Rua Basílio da Gama, S/N, CEP 40110-040 Campus do Canela, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. carlosls@compos.com.br
Dourado
Inês
I
Dahia
Samir Resack
SR
Harzheim
Erno
E
Rutherford
George Williams
GW
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000453:epidemiology; D002613:Cheilitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D017733:Leukoplakia, Hairy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D009909:Oral Health; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000453:epidemiology; D012923:Social Class; D013283:Stomatitis, Herpetic / Q000453:epidemiology; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult