This study examines oral manifestations of HIV, the progression of these oral manifestations, and the interrelationship of oral and systemic consequences of HIV. United States military personnel and dependents who have tested seropositive for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) were invited to participate in a research protocol to study the natural history of HIV infection, conducted by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. An oral health research component conducted by NIDCR was a part of this natural history study. More than 800 subjects enrolled in the oral health component from 1989 to 1994 and returned approximately every six months for re-evaluation of their oral health status and for other tests and procedures. Current areas of emphasis are on candidal infections and a determination of the role of HIV- I viral load, HIV-related immunological characteristics and other immunological characteristics in serum and saliva in influencing the occurrence of periodontal, oral mucosal, and salivary conditions in HIV-infected individuals.
