ORAL CANDIDIASIS IN HIV-INFECTION - PREDICTIVE VALUE AND COMPARISON OF FINDINGS IN INJECTING DRUG-USERS AND HOMOSEXUAL MEN

The objectives of this study were to compare the relationship of oral candidiasis to HIV status, cohort and CD4+ lymphocyte values in inject ing drug users and homosexual men and to examine its impact on prognos is. An oral examination was added to an ongoing longitudinal study of HIV infection. Data obtained at 6-month intervals included smoking, il licit drug use, medication use, symptoms and medical diagnoses, physic al examination findings and laboratory data. In this study HIV+ subjec ts were much more likely to present with oral candidiasis than were HI V- subjects (OR = 6.3, P<0.01). Injecting drug users, regardless of se rostatus, were more likely than homosexual men to present with oral ca ndidiasis (OR=3.0, P=0.001). In both cohorts oral candidiasis was asso ciated with low CD4+ lymphocyte counts and percentages, and Kaplan-Mei er survival estimates showed that subjects with oral candidiasis had a poorer prognosis than those without candidiasis, even after controlli ng for CD4+ lymphocyte count.