February 13, 2009

Researchers Discover Link Between Gum Disease and HIV Progression

An acid produced in the mouth due to gum disease has been found to hasten disease progression in people living with HIV, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports. The new findings will be published in the March issue of The Journal of Immunology.

According to research conducted by Japanese researchers at Tokyo-based Nihon University, periodontal disease—a condition that erodes bony structure in the gum—produces butyric acid, which blocks an enzyme that typically slows the spread of HIV in the body.

AFP reports that while previous research has found connections between gum disease and other chronic conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, this study is the first to show that it speeds up HIV progression. The researchers plan to confirm their findings through further studies on animals.

Search: gum disease, peridontal disease, butyric acid, Nihon University

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Previous Comments:

Vinny DDS, westwood,ma, 2009-02-22 10:07:36
happy to be a dentist in mass. where i treat hiv+ clients at no cost to them thru the Ryan White Dental Ombudsperson Program my HIV pts. are extremely healthy...dental health IS the key to overall health GET UR TEETH CLEANED

Greg, Davenport, FL, 2009-02-19 10:32:07
Along with this, HIV and the earlier drugs were damaging to teeth. Mine were cracking, splitting, and breaking. In 2003 I had them pulled and have dentures. Feel much better now. Oral health IS important to overall health.

Jay, Florida, USA, 2009-02-18 08:51:28
Not surprising. Health and disease affects the entire organism, not individual slices of it. That there would be interplay and interrelations between different disorders would/should be expected, Darwin notwithstanding

Jacqui, Nairobi, 2009-02-18 00:54:27
I agree with the researchers, i have been suffering from the gum disease since i was diagonised with the HIV virus. Within one and a half years i was already put on ARVs and even with the ARVs things don't seem to work out very well, I have to dig deep into my pockets to buy supplementary drugs in order to boast my immunity. Please i will be the happiest person if the cure for this menace found.

Tom thomas, , 2009-02-17 14:01:26
I do not believe this to be a valid scientific study and I strongly suspect that this will be proven to be just the case in the near future. Bad science does not make for good information. We really need to focus on effective treatment, not this kind of darwinism approach to medical science.

jeff, kansas, 2009-02-17 12:36:53
i am living proof of this story and wish i could get some help getting treatment--i have gone through years of discomfort and embarrassment from this progression

dld, San Francisco, 2009-02-17 11:52:29
Further support for mom's dictum "brush and floss after every meal." This is actually good news as it is one indicator that we can further help take care of ourselves with our friends' and dates' help.