Clinical Markers of Immunodeficiency and Mechanism of Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome and Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy on HIV Workshop 3A

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has improved survival and changed the disease pattern of HIV infection. However ART may cause serious side effects such as metabolic and cardiovascular complications. In addition immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) is being increasingly reported in relation to ART. The article presents the consensus of a workshop around 4 key issues: (1) the differences in the response of adults and children to highly active antiretroviral therapy (2) the mechanism of the new HIV entry inhibitors and its effect on oral markers (3) the pathogenesis of IRIS and the contradictory findings of the possible oral lesions related with IRIS (4) and the benefits and barriers associated with using ART in the developing and developed world. The consensus of the workshop was that there is a need for future studies on the oral manifestations of HIV in individuals treated with new ARTs-especially children. IRIS was considered a promising field for future research; as such workshop attendees recommended formulating an IRIS-oral lesions case definition and following strict criteria for its diagnosis.