Status of Jaw Bone Density in Hiv-Infected Patients Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy

Abstract

Relevance. Many HIV-infected people are prone to a decrease in bone mineral density, against which they are more likely to develop osteomalacia, osteopenia, osteoporosis, osteonecrosis, fractures and other bone diseases. This is due to a number of factors common to other patients (age, hormonal background, systemic diseases, bad habits, etc.), as well as taking drugs as part of antiretroviral therapy regimens. This creates a risk of deterioration of bone mineral density and severity of osteoporosis. It is relevant to study the effect of HIV status and taking antiretroviral drugs on bone mineral density of the jaw. The aim of the study. To determine the peculiarities of the jaw bone tissue density state in patients with HIV infection taking antiretroviral therapy (ART). Material and methods. The study included 36 people divided into three groups: 1st – patients with HIV / taking ART; 2nd – patients with HIV / without taking ART; 3rd – control group (patients without HIV). The mean age in the total sample was 32.4 ± 12.7 years, median 33.5 years, minimum 28 years, maximum 42 years. All patients were examined for the state of bone mineral density of the upper and lower jaws. Results. As a result of the study the peculiarities of bone mineral density indices of the upper and lower jaws were obtained. Within the groups with HIV infection there are tendencies to lower indices of bone mineral density of the upper jaw tissue in comparison with the lower one. The lowest jaw bone mineral density values are seen among HIV-positive patients on ART. Conclusion. The conducted work on the analysis of quantitative data of jaw bone mineral density indices among patients with positive HIV status on ART intake expands theoretical knowledge about the influence of HIV infection and ART on the development of osteoporosis; it also contributes to the practical activity of dental services in terms of the necessity to assess jaw bone mineral density when planning dental implantation in this cohort of patients in order to prevent unsuccessful osteointegration.