Associations among the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy, oral candidiasis, oral Candida species and salivary immunoglobulin A in HIV-infected children.
OBJECTIVE
The aim was to examine the impact of antiretroviral therapy on the prevalence of oral candidiasis, recovery of oral Candida spp. , and salivary levels of total secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) and Candida-specific SIgA in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children.


METHODS
Sixty-six HIV+ and 40 HIV- children were cross-sectionally examined for the presence of oral lesions. Whole stimulated saliva samples were collected for the identification of Candida spp. using culture and measurement of total and specific SIgA using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).


RESULTS
The HIV+ children had a higher prevalence of oral candidiasis (P < .05), higher frequency of detection of Candida spp. (P < .05), and higher levels of total (P < .05) and Candida-specific SIgA (P < .001) than the HIV- children. Among the HIV+ subjects, antiretroviral users had lower viral loads (P < .001) and lower levels of Candida spp. (P < .05) and total SIgA (P < .05) compared with antiretroviral nonusers.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of antiretroviral therapy was associated with decreases in the prevalence of oral candidiasis. This diminished exposure to Candida spp. was accompanied by decreases in levels of total and Candida-specific SIgA.
Pomarico
Luciana
L
Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. lupomarico@superig.com.br
Cerqueira
Daniella Ferraz
DF
de Araujo Soares
Rosangela Maria
RM
de Souza
Ivete Pomarico Ribeiro
IP
de Araujo Castro
Gloria Fernanda Barbosa
GF
Socransky
Sigmund
S
Haffajee
Anne
A
Teles
Ricardo Palmier
RP
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D002175:Candida / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D012463:Saliva / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D035781:Siblings
D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory; C118558:SIgA 1