Impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy on salivary flow in patients with human-immuno deficiency virus disease in Southern India

Aims: To ascertain and compare between highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and non-HAART patients, the stimulated salivary flow rates and unstimulated salivary flow rates (USFR and SSFR) and to correlate the salivary flow rates with immune suppression. Materials and Methods: One hundred human-immuno deficiency virus seropositive patients attending RAGAS-YRG CARE were examined and divided into two groups, a HAART group (patients on combination antiretroviral therapy) comprising 50 patients and a non-HAART group comprising 50 patients. The HAART group was followed every 3 months after the baseline visit (0) for a period of 9 months, during which a clinical oral examination and collection of unstimulated and stimulated saliva was done. Their salivary gland function was assessed using a xerostomia inventory during each visit. The study on non-HAART group was cross-sectional. Statistical Analysis: Statistical analysis were performed with the aid of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 10.05) software. Results: There was no significant difference in mean SSFR and USFR between the two groups at baseline. In the HAART group, the mean stimulated salivary flow rate increased from baseline to 3 months ( P = 0.02), with the increase being maintained at 6 months and 9 months. When salivary flow rates were correlated with Cluster of Differentiation, CD4 counts, patients in the HAART group with a CD4 ≤ 200 at 6 months visit had a higher mean stimulated salivary flow rate when compared with patients with CD4 ≥ 200 ( P = 0.02). The xerostomia inventory did not reveal any significant difference between the two groups and HAART was not significantly associated with xerostomia. Conclusion: In our study HAART was neither associated with xerostomia nor a reduction in salivary flow rate and immune suppression was not a significant factor for decreasing the salivary flow rate.