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Oral Microflora: A Comparative Study in HIV and Normal Patients

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Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The study was designed to compare the oral microbiota in normal and HIV-infected individuals. The study tries to establish a significant shift in oral microflora in HIV-infected patients. Antibiotic sensitivity testing was performed to establish any rise in resistance against the antibiotics. It was a two and half year prospective study conducted in a tertiary care centre. The study group consisted of eighty subjects divided into two groups of control and HIV. The age range for this group was 9–75 years. The mean age in this group was 39.7 years. The male:female ratio was 2.75:1. Tuberculosis was the most common opportunistic infection in patients with HIV infection. The most common commensal micro organism isolated was the Viridans streptococci in 60% followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae in 23.33%. HIV Group: The most common commensal micro organism isolated was the Viridans streptococci in 42%; this was followed by the Micrococci spp. in 22% cases. S. pneumoniae was isolated in 6% of cases. The colony count for Viridans streptococci showed a heavy growth in 55.56% of cases in controls whereas the same in HIV group was 62.5%. Micrococcus spp. was isolated from 11 subjects in HIV group while it was not isolated from the controls. 50% subjects in the HIV group showed a heavy growth of Klebsiella spp. whereas controls showed only moderate and scanty growth. In patients with CD4+ T cell count less than 50 cells/μl we found a heavy colonization of the oral cavity with Micrococcus spp., Acinetobacter and Klebsiella spp. Viridans streptococcus was not isolated in any of the patients with CD4+ T cell count less than 50 cells/μl. As CD4+ T cells counts improved to 51–100 cells/μl Viridans streptococcus colonies returned and 37.5% patients showed a heavy growth. Micrococcus spp. colonies were isolated till the CD4+ T cells improved up to 300 cells/μl. At counts > 300 cells/μl the oral microbiota became comparable to that of the controls. Many of the opportunistic infections in HIV are caused by commensal bacteria which are otherwise harmless in a normal individual. Our study is unique in that such a study of the oral commensals in HIV patients has never been reported. We found an increased colonization of the oral cavity by Micrococcus spp. which is a normal commensal of the skin.

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Acknowledgment

The authors thank the Indian Council of Medical Research for all the guidance and assistance in completing the research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology, Kasturba Medical College Hospital, Attavara, Mangalore, 575001, India

    Mahesh Chandra Hegde, Gopalkrishna Bhat & Suja Sreedharan

  2. Vinayaka Missions Kripananda Variyar Medical College, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India

    Abhijit Kumar

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  1. Mahesh Chandra Hegde
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  2. Abhijit Kumar
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  4. Suja Sreedharan
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Correspondence to Mahesh Chandra Hegde.

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Hegde, M.C., Kumar, A., Bhat, G. et al. Oral Microflora: A Comparative Study in HIV and Normal Patients. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 66 (Suppl 1), 126–132 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-011-0370-z

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