Periodontal Disease in HIV-Positive Individuals: Association of Periodontal Indices with Stages of HIV Disease

Role of viruses in periodontitis: An extensive review of herpesviruses, human immunodeficiency virus, coronavirus-19, papillomavirus and hepatitis viruses

Periodontitis is the inflammation of the supporting structures around the dentition. Several microbial agents, mostly bacteria, have been identified as causative factors for periodontal disease. On the other hand, oral cavity is a rich reservoir for viruses since it contains a wide variety of cell types that can be targeted by viruses. Traditionally, the focus of research about the oral flora has been on bacteria because the most widespread oral diseases, like periodontitis and dental caries, are outcomes of bacterial infection. However, recently and especially after the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019, there is a growing tendency toward including viruses also into the scope of oral microbiome investigations. The global high prevalence of periodontitis and viral infections may point out to a concomitant or synergistic effect between the two. Although the exact nature of the mechanism still is not clearly understood, this could be speculated through the manipulation of the immune system by viruses; hence facilitating the furthermore colonization of the oral tissues by bacteria. This review provides an extensive and detailed update on the role of the most common viruses including herpes family (herpes simplex, varicella-zoster, Epstein-Barr, cytomegalovirus), Human papillomaviruses, Human immunodeficiency virus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in the initiation, progression and prognosis of periodontitis.

Immune indices and oral health in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus

BACKGROUND

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). During the incubation period of AIDS, oral manifestations may precede systemic symptoms; therefore, it is vitally important to explore the relationship between HIV and oral health and other indicators. This study aimed to further assess the correlation between demographic risk factors, the dental health of HIV-infected patients, and the correlation of oral health indicators with CD4+ T-cell counts (CTCCs) and HIV viral loads (HIV-VLs).

METHODS

Demographic data on 108 HIV-infected patients were first recorded by questionnaire from March 2016 to November 2018. Patients' dental health and oral lesions were assessed by a dental specialist; in addition, they were tested for CTCCs and HIV-VLs by flow cytometry and NucliSENS EasyQ® HIV-1 virometer. Finally, the links between CTCC, HIV-VL, and the dental health (including oral lesions) of the patients were analyzed.

RESULTS

We found that age, marital status, and body mass index (BMI) were relevant to the patient's dental health (P < 0.05) and that their oral hygiene was relevant to their dental health (P < 0.05). However, HIV-VL was not directly related to periodontal/dental clinical indicators (P > 0.05). We discovered that the oral lesions in HIV-infected patients were related to decreased CTCCs and increased HIV-VLs (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

We concluded that HIV-infected patients with severely impaired immune function tend to have poor dental health. Moreover, the prevalence of oral lesions was negatively correlated with CTCC and positively correlated with HIV-VL.

The effect of antiretroviral therapyon the periodontal conditions of patients with HIV infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM

To assess any differences (1) in the prevalence of periodontitis and necrotizing periodontal diseases, specifically necrotizing gingivitis (NG) and necrotizing periodontitis (NP) between HIV patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and those not receiving the therapy and (2) in the severity of periodontitis based on probing depths (PDs) and clinical attachment loss (CAL) between the two groups.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Systematic electronic search on five databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science and Scielo) was conducted to identify cross-sectional and longitudinal studies reporting on prevalence of NG, NP and periodontitis among HIV patients who either receive or do not receive HAART treatment. The differences in clinical parameters of PDs and CAL among these patients were assessed.

RESULTS

Eighteen articles were considered. The meta-analysis for NG showed that the overall assessment for the relative frequency ratio in the two groups was 0.45 (n = 7; 95% confidence interval [CI]: [0.21, 0.97]; p < .042). Regarding NP, the overall assessment for the relative frequency ratio in both groups was 0.60 (n = 5; 95% CI [0.22, 1.64]; p = .321). With regard to periodontitis, the overall assessment for the relative frequency ratio in the two groups was 1.17 (n = 9; 95% CI [0.90, 1.52]; p = .248). No significant differences in PD and CAL were found between the two groups 0.00 (n = 3; 95% CI [-0.52, -0.53]; p = .985) and 0.32 (n = 3; 95% CI [-0.19, 0.82]; p = .22), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of NG appeared to be significantly reduced in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy. No statistical significant difference was found in the prevalence of NP or periodontitis between the two groups.

Current trends and new developments in HIV research and periodontal diseases

With the advent of combined antiretroviral therapies, the face of HIV infection has changed dramatically from a disease with almost certain mortality from serious comorbidities, to a manageable chronic condition with an extended lifespan. In this paper we present the more recent investigations into the epidemiology, microbiology, and pathogenesis of periodontal diseases in patients with HIV, and the effects of combined antiretroviral therapies on the incidence and progression of these diseases both in adults and perinatally infected children. In addition, comparisons and potential interactions between the HIV-associated microbiome, host responses, and pathogenesis in the oral cavity with the gastrointestinal tract and other areas of the body are presented. Also, the effects of HIV and combined antiretroviral therapies on comorbidities such as hyposalivation, dementia, and osteoporosis on periodontal disease progression are discussed.

Periodontal health status among HIV-seropositive pregnant women

Aims and Objective

Routine oral health care is essential for those living with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection, especially in pregnant women. Hormonal changes during pregnancy, immunosupression in HIV along with bacterial load in periodontal infections strongly influence the pregnancy outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the periodontal health status in HIV seropositive pregnant women in Andhra Pradesh, India.

Materials and Methods

This study includes a sample of 90 divided into three groups; HIV seropositive pregnant women (group PH; n = 30), HIV seropositive nonpregnant women (group H; n = 30), and healthy pregnant women without HIV infection (group P; n = 30). Clinical examination includes the recording of probing depths (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), and periodontal screening and recording index (PSR) were assessed in three groups. Statistical analysis was done by Mann-Whitney U-test and Wilcoxon paired test using the software SPSS version 17.

Results

Clinical parameters do not show any significant variation between the three groups. But slightly higher mean PD and CAL levels was observed in HIV seropositive pregnant and nonpregnant women compared with healthy pregnant women without HIV infection. About 13% of severe gingivitis cases were observed in HIV seropositive pregnant group compared with 6% in HIV seropositive and 3% in healthy pregnant group.

Conclusions

Presence of slightly higher percentage of severe gingivitis in HIV seropositive pregnant women strengthens the fact of extra need for preventive oral health services during the prenatal period and provides recommendations for promoting maternal oral health in regional antiretroviral therapy centers in India.

Factors related to the willingness of Palestinian dentists to treat patients with blood-borne diseases

This study aimed to explore, using groups of simulated patients, the willingness of Palestinian dentists to treat patients with blood-borne diseases. Simulated patients conducted a telephone survey of a random sample of dentists registered with the Palestinian Dental Association. A random system was used to assign dentists to one of two groups, in which simulated patients randomly identified themselves with either human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) and asked for a dental appointment. Three-hundred and four dentists (76%) responded to our telephone survey. Sixty-six per cent accepted requests for appointments and 34% declined the appointment requests. Sixty-eight per cent of the dentists declined appointment requests from patients with HIV and 32% declined appointments from patients with HBV. Dentist's gender, 'blood-borne disease type', 'place of private practice', 'country of graduation' and 'years since graduation' were all significant predictors in the final logistic model. More than one-third of our respondents declined appointment requests from patients with blood-borne disease, two-thirds of which were for patients who identified themselves as having HIV. Education and training programmes are needed to improve attitudes of dentists - especially female dentists, older dentists and dentists practising in northern governorates - towards patients with blood-borne diseases.

Is human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) stage an independent risk factor for altering the periodontal status of HIV-positive patients? A South African study

BACKGROUND

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).

METHODS

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).

RESULTS

The mean age of 120 HIV-positive patients was 33.25 years and the mean CD4 + T cell count was 293.43 cells/mm3. The probing depth and clinical attachment loss were found to be significantly associated with the total CD4 + T cell counts but not with HIV stage. Significant correlations were found between age and all clinical indices except for clinical attachment loss. No correlation was found between age and HIV stage of the patients. The use of antiretroviral therapy was significantly associated with probing depth and clinical attachment loss, but not with plaque nor gingival index. Significant associations were observed between smoking and all of the clinical indices except for the gingival index. A significant association was observed between the use of interdental aids and all the clinical indices except for probing depth, while brushing was significantly associated with plaque index only. CD4 + T cell counts were significantly associated with brushing frequency (p = 0.0190) and the use of interdental aids (p = 0.0170).

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study conclude that HIV stage, ART and age are not independent risk factors for changes in the periodontal status of HIV-positive subjects but rather that smoking and oral hygiene habits determine their susceptibility to disease.

Periodontal disease in HIV/AIDS

Since the early 1990's, the death rate from AIDS among adults has declined in most developed countries, largely because of newer antiretroviral therapies and improved access to these therapies. In addition, from 2006 to 2011, the total number of new cases of HIV infection worldwide has declined somewhat and has remained relatively constant. Nevertheless, because of the large numbers of existing and new cases of HIV infection, the dental practitioner and other healthcare practitioners will still be required to treat oral and periodontal conditions unique to HIV/AIDS as well as conventional periodontal diseases in HIV-infected adults and children. The oral and periodontal conditions most closely associated with HIV infection include oral candidiasis, oral hairy leukoplakia, Kaposi's sarcoma, salivary gland diseases, oral warts, other oral viral infections, linear gingival erythema and necrotizing gingival and periodontal diseases. While the incidence and prevalence of these oral lesions and conditions appear to be declining, in part because of antiretroviral therapy, dental and healthcare practitioners will need to continue to diagnose and treat the more conventional periodontal diseases in these HIV-infected populations. Finding low-cost and easily accessible and acceptable diagnostic and treatment approaches for both the microbiological and the inflammatory aspects of periodontal diseases in these populations are of particular importance, as the systemic spread of the local microbiota and inflammatory products of periodontal diseases may have adverse effects on both the progression of HIV infection and the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy approaches. Developing and assessing low-cost and accessible diagnostic and treatment approaches to periodontal diseases, particularly in developing countries, will require an internationally coordinated effort to design and conduct standardized clinical trials.

A Comparison of Chronic Periodontitis in HIV-Seropositive Subjects and the General Population in the Ga-Rankuwa Area, South Africa

The effect of HIV infection on the prevalence and the rate of progression of chronic periodontitis is not clear. The aim of this study was to compare parameters associated with the severity of chronic periodontitis in terms of periodontal probing depths, gingival recession, plaque indexes, and bleeding indexes of HIV-seropositive subjects and healthy age-matched control subjects, and of HIV-seropositive subjects on highly active antiretroviral therapy and those not receiving such treatment. Two cohorts of subjects with chronic periodontitis were recruited for this study over a period of six months. There were 30 HIV-seropositive subjects, and 30 control subjects. Periodontal probing depths, gingival marginal recession, plaque indexes, and bleeding indexes were compared by HIV serostatus, the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy, and CD4+ T-cell counts. All participants were black persons between the age of 18 and 45 and were of a similar socioeconomic status and age. The results of this study indicate that chronic periodontitis in HIV-seropositive subjects is similar in terms of mean periodontal probing depth, gingival marginal recession, plaque index, and bleeding index to that in healthy age-matched control subjects, and a low CD4+ T-cell count does not appear to be a risk factor for increased severity of chronic periodontitis.

Matrix metalloproteinase-7, -8, -9, -25, and -26 and CD43, -45, and -68 cell-markers in HIV-infected patients' saliva and gingival tissue

BACKGROUND

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) process the extracellular matrix and act in tissue remodelling in many physiological and pathological conditions. Certain MMPs can also exert protective anti-inflammatory properties. The levels and expression of MMPs and tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs) in saliva and gingival tissues of human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive (HIV+) patients are unclear.

METHODS

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods and Western blots were used to study levels and molecular forms of MMP-7, -8, -9, -25, and -26 and TIMP-1 from salivary samples of HIV+ patients (n = 55) and healthy controls (n = 10). The expression of MMPs was also studied by immunohistochemical means in gingival tissue specimens (n = 11, HIV+ patients; n = 10, healthy controls).

RESULTS

The HIV+ patients' MMP-8 levels in saliva were statistically significantly higher only in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-phase. MMP-9 levels in ASX- and AIDS-phases showed increased expression. TIMP-1 levels were significantly decreased in lymphadenopathy syndrome (LAS)- and AIDS-related complex (ARC)-phases, while MMP-8/TIMP-1 and MMP-9/TIMP-1 molar ratios were increased in all phases in comparison with controls. The molecular forms of MMP-7, -25, and -26 were different between patients and controls as assessed by Western blot. Immunohistochemical studies showed slightly enhanced MMP-7, -8, -9, -25, and -26 staining in HIV+ gingival tissue samples in comparison with controls.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirmed and further demonstrated differences in salivary amounts and molecular forms of MMPs and TIMP-1 in HIV+ patients. The results may reflect alterations in host defence reactions associated with HIV infection.

Analytical epidemiology of periodontitis

AIMS

To review the literature related to the analytical epidemiology of periodontitis generated over the past decade. This review does not deal with descriptive epidemiologic studies of the prevalence, extent and severity of periodontitis with respect to global geography, but focuses exclusively on analytical epidemiology issues, including the challenges posed by the use of different case definitions across studies, current theories and models of disease progression, and risk factors associated with the onset and progression of periodontitis.

METHODS

Relevant publications in the English language were identified after Medline and PubMed database searches.

FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

There is a conspicuous lack of uniformity in the definition of periodontitis used in epidemiologic studies, and findings from different research groups are not readily interpretable. There is a lack of studies that specifically address the distinction between factors responsible for the onset of periodontitis versus those affecting its progression. Colonization by specific bacteria at high levels, smoking, and poorly controlled diabetes have been established as risk factors for periodontitis, while a number of putative factors, including specific gene polymorphisms, have been identified in association studies. There is a clear need for longitudinal prospective studies that address hypotheses emerging from the cross-sectional data and include established risk factors as covariates along with new exposures of interest. Intervention studies, fulfilling the "targeting" step of the risk assessment process, are particularly warranted. Obvious candidates in this context are studies of the efficacy of elimination of specific bacterial species and of smoking cessation interventions as an alternative to the traditional broad anti-plaque approach in the prevention and control of periodontitis. Ideally, such studies should have a randomized-controlled trial design.

Willingness of dentists in Jordan to treat HIV-infected patients

Reluctance of dentists to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive patients represents a major concern. Many efforts have been extended towards the documentation of the extent of this reluctance and speculation of factors that influence it.

OBJECTIVES

Assess the willingness of dentists in Jordan to treat HIV-infected patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two hundred and forty-two general dental practices were surveyed for their willingness to provide treatment of toothache and routine dental care of an HIV-infected individual.

RESULTS

Only 15% of the dental practices were willing to provide such care. Willingness to provide treatment did not seem to be influenced by financial factors or the local prevalence of HIV disease.

CONCLUSION

Present data suggest that HIV-infected individuals will have difficulty in obtaining dental health care in Jordan.