The association between detectable plasmatic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral load and different subgingival microorganisms in Brazilian adults with HIV: a multilevel analysis

This study investigates the association between detectable plasmatic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral load (HVL) and high levels of periodontal- and non-periodontal-related microorganisms in the subgingival microbiota of individuals with HIV.

Thirty-seven individuals with HIV were divided into two groups: 1) detectable HVL (n = 15); and 2) undetectable HVL (n = 22). Subgingival biofilm samples were obtained, and the levels of 35 microbial species were determined by the checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization method. Periodontal clinical measures and laboratory and sociodemographic data were also registered. χ(2) test, Fisher exact test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare groups. Multilevel ordinal regression models were used to test the association between HVL and the levels of 35 microbial species in subgingival biofilm, adjusted for confounders.

Of the 35 species studied, 11 (31.4%) showed higher mean levels in the detectable HVL group than undetectable HVL group (P <0.001). These species included Actinomyces naeslundii II, Actinomyces israelii, Actinomyces odontolyticus, Veillonella parvula, Capnocytophaga gingivalis, Eikenella corrodens, Campylobacter concisus, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, and Candida albicans. Significant associations between detectable HVL and high levels of microorganisms, adjusted for confounders, were observed for A. naeslundii I, Actinomyces gerencseriae, C. gingivalis, E. corrodens, C. concisus, Prevotella nigrescens, T. forsythia, and Dialister pneumosintes.

Detectable plasmatic HVL in individuals with HIV was associated with elevated levels of known periodontal pathogens, such as P. nigrescens, T. forsythia, and E. corrodens, as well as C. concisus, C. gingivalis, and D. pneumosintes in the subgingival biofilm.