Dynamic study of oral Candida infection and immune status in HIV infected patients during HAART

•HIV is a major global health problem. Oral candidiasis (OC) is the most common oral manifestation of HIV infected individuals.•HAART has been considered as the gold standard in the treatment for HIV/AIDS patients, which reduces the viral load and increases CD4+ T lymphocytes in individuals living with HIV. However, HIV/AIDS patients with HAART can’t completely avoid oral Candida infection.•CD4/CD8 ratios can independently predict the time to death and non–AIDS-defining endpoints and is useful in monitoring response to HAART.•The majority of studies concerning HIV, immunity and OC are carried out in developing countries, but there are few studies on this issue in China.•Little attention has been paid to the relationship between OC and CD4/CD8 ratios and CD8+ T lymphocyte counts, and the relationship between OC and CD4+ T lymphocyte counts in patients undergoing HAART is not clear. There is little research on the dynamic changes of oral Candida infection and immune status in HIV infected people undergoing HAART. To dynamically monitor oral Candida infection, CD4+ T lymphocyte counts, CD8+ T lymphocyte counts and CD4/CD8 ratios in HIV/AIDS patients during their first year of HAART and to preliminarily explore the relationships between them. Forty-six patients with HIV/AIDS receiving HAART at the Infection Department of Chongqing Red Cross Hospital were followed for one year. At baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months after HAART initiation, oral rinses were collected and cultured to identify Candida species. Further, blood samples were collected to detect CD4+ T lymphocyte counts, CD8+ T lymphocyte counts and CD4/CD8 ratios. The prevalence of OC decreased after HAART initiation (P ＜ 0.05), and Candida albicans was the dominant species isolated from the oral cavity (66/93). At 3, 6 and 12 months after HAART initiation, CD4+ T lymphocyte counts were 327.91 ± 138.82, 329.65 ± 142.66 and 319.98 ± 97.90 cells/mm3, respectively, which were significantly higher than the level at baseline (263.39 ± 126.01 cells/mm3) (P = 0.016, P = 0.014, and P = 0.035, respectively). During the first year of HAART, CD4/CD8 ratios increased gradually, and CD8+ T lymphocyte counts decreased continually. OC was associated with low CD4+ T lymphocyte counts and a low CD4/CD8 ratio. CD4+ T lymphocyte counts