SALIVA & ANTI CANDIDAL DEFENSE MECHANISMS IN HIV & AIDS

这项研究基于以下假设：1)唾液腺功能的变化与艾滋病毒感染的进展有关，这些变化易患口腔念珠菌病；2)随着艾滋病毒感染的严重性增加，患者会出现干燥综合征样特征。这项研究将横向和纵向地确定HIV感染不同阶段的唾液腺变化，确定随着HIV感染的进展唾液抗念珠菌活性的变化，并将确定HIV感染患者与Sjogren‘s患者唾液腺功能的异同。研究将使用年龄和性别匹配的血清阴性对照和处于HIV感染不同阶段的患者。

This study is based on the hypotheses that: 1) alterations in salivary gland function are associated with the progression of HIV infection and these alterations predispose to oral candidiasis; 2) with increasing severity of HIV infection, patients develop Sjogren's Syndrome-like features. The study will cross-sectionally and longitudinally determine salivary gland changes at the different stages of HIV infection, it will determine the changes in salivary anti-candidal activities with the progression of HIV infection, and will determine the similarities and differences in salivary gland function of HIV-infected patients in comparison to those with Sjogren's. The study will utilize age- and sex-matched sero-negative controls and patients at different stages of HIV infection.