Background
New prevention strategies have been advocated to control the progression of HIV/AIDS, such as preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential changes in the oral and salivary conditions of HIV-uninfected subjects using PrEP.
Material and Methods
Subjects were evaluated before beginning the medication (T0), at the first follow-up (T1), and at the second follow-up (T2). Xerostomia, presence of untreated cavitated caries, oral hygiene habits, taste, gingival and plaque index, stimulated salivary flow rate (SSFR), and salivary concentrations of calcium, glucose, urea, and total proteins were evaluated. Data obtained were analyzed using statistical tests (
p
<0.05).
Results
Forty-seven participants (41 men; 6 women) were evaluated at T0. Thirty (28 men; 2 women) and 17 men were reassessed at T1 and T2, respectively. There was no difference between the SSFR and oral and salivary conditions between T0, T1, and T2 (
p
>0.05), except for the salivary calcium concentration, that increased at T2 compared to T1 (
p
=0.02). There was significant difference between taste and xerostomia at T1 (
p
=0.017), and the need to drink to swallow at T2 (
p
=0.015). There was significant correlation between the reported amount of saliva and taste (
p
=0.039, r=-0.378) at T1.
Conclusions
The prolonged use of PrEP seems to be associated with reports of dry mouth and worsening of taste, possibly associated with increased salivary calcium concentration.
Key words:
Antiretroviral agents, pre-exposure prophylaxis, saliva, oral health.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.