HIV infection and periodontal diseases: an overview of the post-HAART era

A selection of abstracts of clinically relevant papers from other journals. The abstracts on this page have been chosen and edited by John R. Radford.

Abstract

The link between HIV infection and periodontal diseases is less than clear and more so with HAART.

Main

Mataftsi M, Skoura L et al. Oral Dis 2011; 17: 13–25

Linear gingivitis erythema and other periodontal clinical observations have been associated with HIV infection. However, studies exploring these findings are ambiguous. For example, when studying the oral microflora of HIV-infected individuals with periodontal diseases, 1) some papers report there is an increased occurrence of putative periodontal pathogens, 2) others a decreased number, and 3) yet others identified opportunistic microbial species. Nevertheless, studies are cited that suggest periodontal diseases 'could act as a risk factor for HIV reactivation in infected individuals'. It may be premature to make inferences in 'the post-HAART era', because of lack of power in published studies. However, immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) is a putative link between periodontal diseases and HAART. This is when an inflammatory condition (such as periodontal disease) can be exacerbated as a consequence of HAART.