Occurrence of oral lesions associated with HIV/AIDS in patients receiving HAART at the comprehensive care clinic, Thika District Hospital, Kenya

Abstract

The prevalence of some easily detectable oral manifestations of HIV/AIDS decreases with HAART. Their presence may therefore be used as an indicator of the effectiveness of HAART. The objective of this study was to determine the occurrence and patterns of HIV/AIDS-related oral lesions in relationship to HAART usage, with a particular focus on oro-pharyngeal candidiasis (OPC). In this cross-sectional study, every 5th HIV-positive Comprehensive Care Clinic (CCC) outpatient on HAART was selected. They underwent oral cavity examination for the presence of different clinical forms of OPC and other oral lesions associated with HIV infection. Individual patient medical records were perused for relevant clinical data. Gram Stain smears from OPC lesions were examined under a light microscope for the presence of Candida pseudo-hyphae. Data was recorded in structured questionnaires and standard forms, entered into MS Access and then transferred to Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for analysis. Chi square was used to analyze the statistical significances of the differences in frequencies and proportions. The data was stratified for periods below and above 24 weeks on HAART. One-way ANOVA was computed comparing the mean ages, mean CD4 count and mean durations on HAART between the sexes. Odds ratios were calculated for the occurrence of OPC in subjects who had been on HAART for 24 weeks or more with adjustments for age, CD4 count, use of antifungal drugs, use of antibiotics and missed HAART doses marital status and employment status.