Effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy on frequency of oral warts

• Published in: The Lancet (British edition) Vol. 357; no. 9266; pp. 1411 - 1412
• Main Authors: Greenspan, Deborah, Canchola, Alison J, MacPhail, Laurie A, Cheikh, Behnaz, Greenspan, John S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier Ltd 05-05-2001; Lancet; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - drug therapy; Antiretroviral agents; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active - adverse effects; Biological and medical sciences; Candidiasis, Oral - drug therapy; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Drug therapy; Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment; HIV Infections - drug therapy; Humans; Immune response; Leukoplakia, Hairy - drug therapy; Medical sciences; Mouth Diseases - chemically induced; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Prevalence; Protease Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Proteinase inhibitors; Retrospective Studies; Sarcoma; Toxicity: respiratory system, ent, stomatology; Viral Load; Viruses; Warts; Warts - chemically induced; Human; Immunopathology; Stomatology; Toxicity; Wart; AIDS; Immune deficiency; Infection; Oral cavity; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Viral disease; Antiviral; Complication
• ISSN: 0140-6736; 1474-547X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(00)04578-5

To investigate changes in the pattern of oral disease associated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), we assessed the frequency of these lesions in our clinic over 9 years. We retrospectively studied 1280 patients seen between July, 1990, and June, 1999, and related oral findings to medication use, immune function, and viral load. We found significant decreases in oral candidosis, hairy leucoplakia, and Kaposi's sarcoma over time, but no change in the occurrence of aphthous ulcers. There was an increase in salivary-gland disease and a striking increase in warts: three-fold for patients on antiretroviral therapy and six-fold for those on HAART (p=0·01). This pattern of oral disease in a referral clinic suggests that an increase in oral warts could be occurring as a complication of HAART.