Important note: Information in this article was accurate in June 2000. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.AIDSWEEKLY Plus; Monday, June 12, 2000
Prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports
NewsRx -- Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill published study results indicating that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 viral load increases in the saliva when there is inflammation present in the oral cavity.
In this study, investigators studied the saliva of HIV-1 infected individuals for RNA titer and occult blood. In addition, the patients' oral cavities were examined for overall health or disease characteristics. Finally, researchers studied their medical records for basic information such as CD4+ cell count, use of antiviral agents, and other important factors.
D.C. Shugars and associates reported, "Forty-two percent of the subjects had detectable salivary HIV-1 RNA. Oral titers were highly correlated with plasma viral levels (r=0.51, P<0.01)."
Also, dental diseases associated with inflammation, for example gingivitis, were associated with the highest salivary HIV-1 RNA titers, they determined. Patients who were not taking antiretroviral therapy also had higher viral titers ("Oral and systemic factors associated with increased levels of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RNA in saliva," Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2000 Apr;89(4):432-40.
Shugars et al. concluded, "Substantial quantities of HIV-1 can be shed in the oral cavity, particularly when inflammatory conditions are present. Salivary titer may be a useful indicator of systemic viral burden."
More information about this study can be obtained by contacting D.C. Shugars, University of North Carolina, School of Dentistry, Department of Dental Ecology, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA.
Key points reported in this study are:
This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports.
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