Background: Controversial data regarding the association between immunosuppression and prevalence/ severity of periodontal diseases in HIV infection have been reported. Thus, the aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that lower T CD4 lymphocyte levels are not related to a higher prevalence of chronic periodontitis in HIV-infected Brazilians undergoing highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART).

Methods: Sixty-four HIV-infected patients under HAART were classified as having chronic periodontitis; i.e., ≥three sites with probing depth (PD) and/or clinical attachment level (CAL) ≥5 mm or periodontal healthy (no sites with PD >3 mm and/or CAL >4 mm). All subjects received conventional periodontal therapy. Bleeding on probing, plaque accumulation, PD, and CAL were registered at six sites/tooth at baseline and 4 months after therapy. Epidemiological features and levels of T CD4 lymphocytes were obtained from medical records. Significance of differences in periodontal clinical parameters within and between groups were determined using Wilcoxon signed-rank and Mann-Whitney or independent sample t tests. Associations between T CD4 levels and clinical parameters were determined using the chi square test.

Results: Sixty-one percent of the HIV-infected patients represented AIDS cases, although 69% of them were periodontally healthy. The overall T CD4 lymphocyte mean levels was 333 ± 254 cells/mm³ and viral load was 12,815 ± 24,607 copies/mm³. Yet the prevalence of chronic periodontitis was relatively low (36%). In addition, patients with periodontitis presented a moderate disease (mean PD = 2.2 ± 0.10; mean CAL = 2.6 ± 0.13) and responded successfully to periodontal therapy. These subjects showed higher levels of T CD4 cells, but lower counts of neutrophils than periodontally healthy patients. Among periodontally healthy and chronic periodontitis patients, 41.7% and 22.9%, respectively, had low levels of T CD4 lymphocytes. No significant differences between periodontal status and epidemiological and immunological parameters were observed.

Conclusion: Based on these results, the hypothesis that lower T CD4 lymphocyte levels are not associated with higher prevalence of chronic periodontitis in HIV-infected Brazilians under HAART cannot be rejected. J Periodontol 2005;76:915-922.