Effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy on frequency of oral warts

To investigate changes in the pattern of oral disease associated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), we assessed the frequency of these lesions in our clinic over 9 years. We retrospectively studied 1280 patients seen between Jury, 1990, and June, 1999, and related oral findings to medication use, immune function, and viral load. We found significant decreases in oral candidosis, hairy leucoplakia, and Kaposi's sarcoma over time, but no change in the occurrence of aphthous ulcers. There was an increase in salivary-gland disease and a striking Increase in warts: three-fold for patients an antiretroviral therapy and six-fold for those an HAART (p = 0.01). This pattern of oral disease in a referral clinic suggests that an increase in oral warts could be occurring as a complication of HAART.