SALIVA & ANTI CANDIDAL DEFENSE MECHANISMS IN HIV & AIDS

本研究基于以下假设：1)唾液腺功能的改变与HIV感染的进展有关，这些改变易导致口腔念珠菌病；2)随着HIV感染严重程度的增加，患者出现干燥综合征样特征。本研究将对HIV感染不同阶段的唾液腺变化进行横断面和纵向测定，确定随着HIV感染的进展，唾液腺抗念珠菌活性的变化，并确定HIV感染患者与干燥病患者的唾液腺功能的异同。这项研究将利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.