title: Quantification of oral palatine Langerhans cells in HIV/AIDS associated oral Kaposi sarcoma with and without oral candidiasis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Langerhans cells (LCs) are effective antigen-presenting cells that function as "custodians" of mucosa, modifying the immune system to pathogen entry, and tolerance to self-antigen and commensal microbes. A reduction in number of LCs in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive individuals may predispose to local mucosal infections.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To quantitatively determine the number of oral mucosal LCs in HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) associated oral Kaposi sarcoma (KS) with/without oral candidiasis (OC) and to define in situ interrelationships between the cells, OC, and HIV infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two periodic acid-Schiff. (PAS) stained histologic sections of palatal HIV/AIDS associated KS with intact oral epithelium were examined for Candida and divided into two groups: . (1) KS coinfected with Candida and. (2) KS noninfected with Candida. Sections were immunohistochemically stained with CD1a. The standard length of surface epithelium was measured and number of positively stained LCs counted per unit length. Control cases included non-Candida infected palatal mucosa overlying pleomorphic adenoma. (PA) and oral mucosa infected with Candida in otherwise healthy individuals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LC number per unit length of surface epithelium was statistically significantly greatest in uninfected PA mucosa and lowest in KS coinfected with Candida (P = 0.0001). A statistically significant difference was also noted between uninfected PA mucosa and non-Candida infected KS (P = 0.0014), in KS coinfected with Candida and non-infected KS (P = 0.0035), between OC and PA (P = 0.0001), and OC and KS coinfected with Candida (P = 0.0247).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LC numbers are significantly reduced in oral tissues of HIV/AIDS infected patients by Candida infection when compared to oral tissues without.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Vibha
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jivan
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Shabnum
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D002452:Cell Count; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult