ORAL CANDIDIASIS AND IMMUNE STATUS OF HIV-INFECTED PATIENTS

A total of 84 HIV-infected homosexual men having either normal oral mu cosa (NOM), erythematous candidiasis (EC) or pseudomembranous candidia sis (PsC) were included in the study. The patients were evaluated by m edian number of peripheral CD4+ cells, CD8+ cells and by lymphocyte fu nction assessed by pokeweed mitogen test. There was a significant diff erence between CD4+ counts among patients with the two subtypes of can didiasis (95% CI of median difference: 10-240/mm(3); P=0.03), but not for pokeweed mitogen response. Survival analysis showed that after 2 y there was no significant difference in development of AIDS between pa tients with EC and PsC (P=0.29). If patients with both types of oral c andidiasis were pooled and compared with patients with NOM, a signific ant difference in development of AIDS was found (P=0.04). It is conclu ded that HIV-infected patients with oral candidiasis of any subtype (E C or PsC) are significantly more immune suppressed and show a faster d evelopment of AIDS than HIV-infected patients with NOM. However, in th is cohort, EC and PsC are of equal importance as predictors for immune suppression and AIDS development.