AIDS PATIENT CARE and STDs Volume 16, Number 4, 2002 © Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Prevalence of Oral Lesions in Mexican Children with Perinatally Acquired HIV: Association with Immunologic Status, Viral Load, and Gender LUIS GAITÁN-CEPEDA, Ph.D., 1 JUAN MORALES, M.D., 2 LUIS SÁNCHEZ-VARGAS, D.D.S., 1 SANDRA AQUINO-GARCIA, D.D.S., 1 RODOLFO FRAGOSO-RÍOS, M.Sc., 3 VICENTE CUAIRÁN-RUIDIAZ, M.Sc., 3 and CARLOS AVILA FIGUEROA, M.Sc. 2 ABSTRACT It has been proposed that HIV-related oral lesions (HIV-ROL) have a significant diagnostic and prognostic value for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in adult patients. However, in HIV-infected children, the relation between HIV-ROL and immune and viro- logic status is not well established. The principal objective of this paper is to assess the preva- lence of HIV-related oral lesions (HIV-ROL) in Mexican HIV-infected children in relation to their immunologic status, viral load, and gender. Forty-eight HIV-infected children from Im- munodeficiency Clinic, Child’s Hospital of México, México City, were examined for oral pathology. The data obtained from medical records were: name, gender, age, route of infec- tion, CD4 lymphocytes cells count/mL, HIV-1-RNA level of copies/mL (viral load), and type and time of treatment. The prevalence of HIV-ROL was 29.2%. Oral candidosis was the most prevalent oral lesion (20.8%) followed by periodontal and gingival disease (4.2%), herpes sim- plex (2.1%), and parotid enlargement (2.1%). There was no association between the prevalence of HIV-ROL and gender, immunological status, or viral load. The most frequent clinical form of oral candidosis was erythematous candidosis (12.5%, N 5 6). Our results do not suggest a direct relationship between prevalence of HIV-ROL, severe immunodepression, and/or viral load . 100000 copies in this population. 151 INTRODUCTION H UMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) in- fection was first recognized in children in 1983. 1,2 Since then, it was observed that HIV in- fection disease differs between children and adults, in terms of natural history and spec- trum of opportunistic disease, including oral pathology. Pediatric acquired immunodeficiency syn- drome (AIDS) is defined as occurring in chil- dren less than 13 years of age. 2 The World Health Organization (WHO) recently reported that in the year 2000 there will be 10 million in- fected children worldwide. 3 The National Council of Prevention and Control of AIDS Mexico (CONASIDA) reported that by the year 2000 there were more than 38,415 cases of AIDS 1 Oral Pathology Laboratory, Dental School, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Tlalpan, Mexico. 2 Clinic of Immunodeficiency, Child’s Hospital of Mexico “Federico Gómez,” Mexico City, Mexico. 3 Stomatology Department, Child’s Hospital of Mexico “Federico Gómez,” Mexico City, Mexico.