Is human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) stage an independent risk factor for altering the periodontal status of HIV-positive patients? A South African study
Date
2013Author
John, Cathy Nisha
Stephen, Lawrence Xavier
Africa, Charlene Wilma Joyce
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The immunosuppresion in HIV patients makes them highly susceptible to microbial infections. The
aim of the study was to establish whether HIV stage (as depicted by CD4+ T lymphocyte counts) could
independently be associated with periodontal status (as revealed by the measurement of clinical indices). One hundred and twenty HIV-infected patients attending an infectious diseases clinic in the Western Cape,
South Africa were included in the study. The periodontal clinical indices such as plaque index, gingival index, pocket
probing depth and clinical attachment levels were measured on the mesial aspect of the six Ramfjord teeth. The
CD4 + T cell counts were taken from the patients’ medical records and patients’ HIV stage determined and grouped
according to their CD4+ T cell counts into A (<200 cells /mm3
), B (200–500 cells /mm3
) and C (>500 cells /mm3
).