Oral manifestations of HIV infection in patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in Bahia, Brazil

Objectives: 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.