Oral health and quality of life of people living with human T-cell leukemia virus-1 in Salvador, Brazil: a cross-sectional study

• Published in: Clinical oral investigations Vol. 26; no. 3; pp. 2565 - 2573
• Main Authors: Falcão, Gleicy Gabriela Vitória Spínola Carneiro, Sarmento, Viviane Almeida, Dutra, Brenda Soares, Russoni, Bruno, de Oliveira, Letycia Santos, Costa, Dayana Alves, Brites, Carlos, Bouqout, Jerry E., Lins-Kusterer, Liliane
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-03-2022
• Subjects: Brazil; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dentistry; Human T-lymphotropic virus 1; Humans; Leukemia, T-Cell; Medicine; Oral Health; Original Article; Quality of Life; Surveys and Questionnaires; Brazil; HTLV-1; Oral health; Oral health-related quality of life; Quality of life
• ISSN: 1432-6981; 1436-3771
• DOI: 10.1007/s00784-021-04226-7

Objective
To compare the oral health status and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with human T-cell leukemia virus-1 (HTLV-1).
Material and methods
This cross-sectional study included 204 seropositive patients, classified into two groups, symptomatic and asymptomatic. The first group included patients with neurological symptoms associated with HTLV-1 (
n
 = 69), and the second group, asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers (
n
 = 135). We evaluated the total unstimulated saliva flow, oral mucosa, the Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth (
DMFT
) 
index
, and Periodontal Screening and Recording (PSR). The Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP14) measured the oral health-related quality of life. General health-related quality of life was measured by the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Variables with a value of
p
 < 0.25 in bivariate analysis were selected, together with SF-36 summaries’ scores and total OHIP-14, for composing a logistic regression model that had symptomatology as the dependent variable.
Results
The OHIP-14 total score was poor in symptomatic and asymptomatic groups, but with no marked difference between them. Symptomatic patients showed significantly lower SF-36 scores (
P
 ≤ 0.05
)
compared to asymptomatic ones, except for mental component summary (MCS). Family income (1–2.99 minimal wages), reduced salivary flow, flossing, and lower physical component summary (PCS) were associated (
P
 ≤ 0.05) with symptomatology.
Conclusions
Symptomatic individuals living with HTLV-1 showed lower HRQoL and poorer OHRQoL compared to asymptomatic ones. Family income, flossing, reduced salivary flow, and lower PCS were associated with symptomatic HTLV-1 individuals.
Clinical relevance
In the present study, symptomatic individuals with HTLV-1 showed higher family income, poorer oral health status, lower salivary flow, poorer OHRQoL, and lower HRQoL compared to asymptomatic ones.