Cellular Profile and Expression of Immunologic Markers in Chronic Apical Periodontitis from HIV-infected Patients Undergoing Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy.
BACKGROUND
This study tested the hypothesis that the inflammatory cell profile (CD3-, CD4-, CD8-, CD20-, and CD68-positive cells) and the expression of immunologic markers (tumor necrosis factor α, interferon-γ, interleukin-6, and interleukin-18) in chronic apical periodontitis are the same between non-HIV-infected patients and HIV-infected patients undergoing highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).


METHODS
Thirty-four surgically excised chronic apical periodontitis lesions were sampled from 34 patients (17 HIV-infected and 17 non-HIV-infected). The lesions were extracted from teeth with no previous endodontic treatment. All HIV-infected patients were undergoing HAART. The specimens were submitted to histopathologic and immunohistochemical analyses by using an optical microscope. Immunoexpression was graded into 2 levels, focal to weak and moderate to strong. The χ(2), Fisher exact, and Mann-Whitney tests were used to analyze all significant differences between groups.


RESULTS
Periapical cysts represented 70.6% and 52.9% of the lesions in the HIV-infected and non-HIV-infected groups, respectively; however, no statistically significant difference was observed (P = .481). There were no statistically significant differences between groups for the inflammatory cell profile and for any of the immunologic markers (P > .05).


CONCLUSIONS
There are no statistically significant differences of the cellular profile and expression of immunologic markers in chronic apical periodontitis between non-HIV-infected patients and HIV-infected patients undergoing HAART.
Post-graduation Program in Dentistry, Estácio de Sá University, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Túlio Gustavo Veiga
TG
Gama
Post-graduation Program in Dentistry, Estácio de Sá University, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Fabio Ramoa
FR
Pires
Post-graduation Program in Dentistry, Estácio de Sá University, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Luciana
L
Armada
Post-graduation Program in Dentistry, Estácio de Sá University, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address: luciogoncalves@yahoo.com.br.
Lucio Souza
LS
Gonçalves
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D018951:Antigens, CD20 / Q000032:analysis; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000032:analysis; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000379:methods*; D015415:Biomarkers; D001938:Brazil; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000276:immunology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010484:Periapical Granuloma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D010485:Periapical Periodontitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D011842:Radicular Cyst / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D012907:Smoking; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology; D000097382:CD68 Molecule
D015703:Antigens, CD; D018951:Antigens, CD20; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D015415:Biomarkers; D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D020382:Interleukin-18; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C067980:CD68 antigen, human; D000097382:CD68 Molecule; C508600:IL6 protein, human
Chronic apical periodontitis; HIV infection; immunohistochemistry; periapical cyst; periapical granuloma