In vitro evidence that Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) enhances protection against dental erosion in People Living with HIV (PLHIV) and individuals on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the protective capacity of the salivary pellicle in people living with HIV (PLHIV) on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and individuals on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

Sixteen participants were divided into three groups: Control (n = 5; HIV-negative, not on ART), HIV (n = 7; PLHIV on ART), and PrEP (n = 4; HIV-negative, on PrEP). Stimulated saliva samples were pooled for each group. Enamel specimens (n = 45) were polished and allocated among the groups. Samples underwent five cycles of enamel pellicle formation (120 µL saliva, 37°C, 2 h), each followed by an erosive challenge (6 ml of 1 % citric acid, 25°C, 1 min, pH 3.6). Surface hardness (SH), surface reflection intensity (SRI), surface roughness (Sa), and calcium release (CaR) were measured before and after the erosive cycles. Statistical analyses included the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for normality, one-way ANOVA for SH and SRI, and Kruskal-Wallis tests for Sa and CaR (α = 0.05).

RESULTS

PrEP individuals exhibited the greatest protection against erosion in terms of SH, followed by PLHIV (p = 0.016). Both groups showed significantly better protection than the Control group, with higher SRI values (p < 0.05) and lower enamel surface roughness (p = 0.001). No significant differences were observed among the groups regarding calcium release (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

PLHIV and individuals on PrEP demonstrate enhanced protective properties of the salivary pellicle against dental erosion.