The Association Between Oral Soft Tissue Lesions and Psychological Stress in HIV+ Adults

In an observational study, 29 HIV-infected individuals (mean age, 35.3 years; 65% male; 93% African American) had an oral soft tissue examination and completed mood, trauma, and stress questionnaires. Based on the oral examination, 10 out of 29 HIV-infected individuals presented with oral soft tissue lesions. Among the 10 individuals with oral lesions, a total of 13 lesions were diagnosed with the most common lesions being oral candidiasis (23%) and oral warts (23%). Compared to individuals without oral lesions, individuals with oral lesions reported greater depressive symptoms and emotional neglect. We report associations between markers of depressive symptoms, trauma, and stress and oral manifestations. The mechanisms linking these two aspects of health and the significance of this association remain to be explored.