Is there an association between viral load, CD4 count, WHO staging, and dental caries in HIV-positive children?

Background Few studies have investigated an association between CD4 counts, viral load (VL), WHO staging, and caries among HIV-positive (HIV+) children on HAART therapy (>12 months). Aim To determine the strength of association between CD4 counts, WHO staging, VL, and dental caries. Design This cross-sectional analytical study comprised of 355 HIV + children, aged 4-12 years, attending a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. Demographic and clinical data such as decayed (d,D), missing (m,M), filled teeth (f,F) [dmft/DMFT], CD4 counts, and WHO staging were collected. Correlation and regression analyses were done to test for associations. Results Caries prevalence for this cohort of children was 57%. The dmft score for the primary dentition was 4.36 (SD 4.87) and DMFT for secondary dentition was 0.58 (SD 1.49). Pearson's correlation analyses showed significant association between VL and CD4 count (P = .003) and VL and WHO stage (P = .007). Weak associations were noted between caries (d, D) and VL, CD4 count, and WHO stage of disease for correlation and regression analyses. Conclusion There appears to be no substantial evidence of any significant association between the presence of caries among HIV + children and CD4 counts, viral load, and WHO clinical stage of the disease.