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Published on: May 16, 2012
Effect of HAART on salivary gland function in the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS)
M Navazesh1, R Mulligan, R Karim
1USC School of Dentistry, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0641, USA. navazesh@usc.edu
Objective:
To determine the impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on salivary gland function in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive women from the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS).
Design:
Longitudinal cohort study.
Subjects And Methods:
A total of 668 HIV positive women from the WIHS cohort with an initial and at least one follow-up oral sub-study visit contributed 5358 visits. Salivary gland function was assessed based on a dry mouth questionnaire, whole unstimulated and stimulated salivary flow rates, salivary gland enlargement or tenderness and lack of saliva on palpation of the major salivary glands.
Main Outcome Measures:
Changes in unstimulated and stimulated flow rates at any given visit from that of the immediate prior visit (continuous variables). The development of self-reported dry mouth (present/absent), enlargement or tenderness of salivary glands (present/absent), and absence of secretion on palpation of the salivary glands were binary outcomes (yes/no).
Results:
Protease Inhibitor (PI) based HAART was a significant risk factor for developing decreased unstimulated (P = 0.01) and stimulated (P = 0.0004) salivary flow rates as well as salivary gland enlargement (P = 0.006) as compared with non-PI based HAART.
Conclusions:
PI-based HAART therapy is a significant risk factor for developing reduced salivary flow rates and salivary gland enlargement in HIV positive patients.
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