ORAL IMMUNE DYSFUNCTION AND ORAL INFECTIOUS DISEASE IN HIV INFECTION

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. This is a research study to identify whether the AIDS virus affects the immune system in the mouth, and how this creates susceptibility in infections in the mouth (oral thrush, warts, ulcers, dry mouth, periodontitis). This research study aims to better understand why HIV-infected individuals are prone to oral infections through studying the immune system of HIV-positive and HIV-negative people, with and without oral infections. The study will investigate the oral and blood immunity, as well as vaginal immunity in women, to several oral infections common in HIV-positive persons, including oral yeast infections, oral ulcers, oral warts, hairy leukoplakia, ulcerative periodontitis, and stomatitis. Immune responses, or lack thereof, in the blood cells or vaginal wash (women only) compared to that in oral washes or oral biopsies will be compared between HIV-positve and HIV-negative individuals with and without oral infections. This will help show the type of immunity present and whether individuals with HIV infection are deficient in their oral immune status such that they are prone to oral infections.