Periodontal status and dental care in HIV seropositive patients

• Published in: RGO - Revista Gaúcha de Odontologia Vol. 57; no. 4; pp. 419 - 423
• Main Authors: Maria Sueli Marques Soares, Luiz Felipe Fernandes Gonçalves, Marcus Setally de Azevedo Macena, Rita de Cássia Brandão Bertazzoli, Andréa Sarmento Queiroga, Angelinne Ribeiro Ângelo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Faculdade São Leopoldo Mandic 01.12.2009
• Subjects: acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; DMF index; doenças periodontais; periodontal diseases; síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida; índice CPO
• ISSN: 0103-6971; 1981-8637

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the correlation between CD4+ cell count and viral load with periodontal and dental status in HIV seropositive patient. Methods: Forty HIV seropositive patients were selected from the dental clinic of the Clementino Fraga Hospital in João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil. The Community Periodontal Index, Simplified Oral Hygiene Index and Decayed, Missing or Filled Teeth Index were determined. The values of CD4+ lymphocyte count and viral load were collected from the medical records. Descriptive analysis was made and Spearman’s correlation test was applied, with values of p<0.05 being significant. Results: HIV seropositive patients were aged 33 to 47 years (mean = 40 years), 26 were men and 14 women. The mean CD4+ lymphocyte count was 507.82±306.4 cells/mm3, with 41% being a high, 38.5% a medium and 20.5% a low level. Sixty-five percent of the patients had undetectable viral load, 12.5% had a high, 5% a low and 5% a medium viral load. Most patients (87.5%) presented with periodontal disease, calculus was the most frequent condition (40%). The mean Decayed, Missing or Filled Tooth Index was 19.7±6.8, with prevalence of the missing component. There was significant statistical correlation between the CD4+ count and the periodontal condition, p=0.046. There was no significant correlation between the CD4+ count and the Decayed, Missing or Filled Teeth Index (p=0.469) and the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (p=0.189) indexes, and between viral load and Decayed, Missing or Filled Teeth Index (p=0.452), the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (p=0.158) and Community Periodontal Index (p=0.216). Conclusion: The periodontal condition was influenced to a greater by the CD4+ cell count than the viral load, while there was no correlation between the decayed condition and the CD4+ cell count or the viral load condition.