Dynamic study of oral Candida infection and immune status in HIV infected patients during HAART

Xian Du; Hui Xiong; Yao Yang; Jihui Yan; Shuqiong Zhu; Fangchun Chen

doi:10.1016/j.archoralbio.2020.104741

Dynamic study of oral Candida infection and immune status in HIV infected patients during HAART

Arch Oral Biol. 2020 Jul:115:104741. doi: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2020.104741. Epub 2020 May 7.

Authors

Xian Du¹, Hui Xiong², Yao Yang³, Jihui Yan⁴, Shuqiong Zhu⁴, Fangchun Chen⁵

Affiliations

¹ College of Stomatology, Chongqing Medical University, 410120, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, 410120, China; Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, 410120, China.
² College of Stomatology, Chongqing Medical University, 410120, China.
³ Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, 410120, China.
⁴ Chongqing Red Cross Hospital, 400020, China.
⁵ College of Stomatology, Chongqing Medical University, 410120, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, 410120, China; Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, 410120, China. Electronic address: 500118@hospital.cqmu.edu.cn.

PMID: 32417705
DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2020.104741

Abstract

Objective: To dynamically monitor oral Candida infection, CD4⁺ T lymphocyte counts, CD8⁺ T lymphocyte counts and CD4/CD8 ratios in HIV/AIDS patients during their first year of HAART and to preliminarily explore the relationships between them.

Design: Forty-six patients with HIV/AIDS receiving HAART at the Infection Department of Chongqing Red Cross Hospital were followed for one year. At baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months after HAART initiation, oral rinses were collected and cultured to identify Candida species. Further, blood samples were collected to detect CD4⁺ T lymphocyte counts, CD8⁺ T lymphocyte counts and CD4/CD8 ratios.

Results: The prevalence of OC decreased after HAART initiation (P ＜ 0.05), and Candida albicans was the dominant species isolated from the oral cavity (66/93). At 3, 6 and 12 months after HAART initiation, CD4⁺ T lymphocyte counts were 327.91 ± 138.82, 329.65 ± 142.66 and 319.98 ± 97.90 cells/mm³, respectively, which were significantly higher than the level at baseline (263.39 ± 126.01 cells/mm³) (P = 0.016, P = 0.014, and P = 0.035, respectively). During the first year of HAART, CD4/CD8 ratios increased gradually, and CD8⁺ T lymphocyte counts decreased continually. OC was associated with low CD4⁺ T lymphocyte counts and a low CD4/CD8 ratio. CD4⁺ T lymphocyte counts <200 cells/mm³ and Candida load ≥300 CFU/mL were risk factors for OC (P ＜ 0.05), and oral Candida load was negatively correlated with CD4⁺ T lymphocyte counts and the CD4/CD8 ratio.

Conclusion: OC might be a useful marker for the evaluation of immune status in patients with HIV/AIDS.

Keywords: CD4(+) T lymphocyte; CD4/CD8 ratio; CD8(+) T lymphocyte; HAART; HIV/AIDS; Oral Candida.

MeSH terms

Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active
CD4 Lymphocyte Count
Candida
Candidiasis, Oral* / complications
Candidiasis, Oral* / immunology
HIV Infections* / complications
HIV Infections* / drug therapy
HIV Infections* / immunology
Humans