The Correlation Between the Levels of Salivary
Lactoferin and CD4 Count in HIV Patients
 

Faisal Hamdi, Riani Setiadhi, Agnes Rengga Indrati

Oral Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.

Oral Medicine, Tebet Hospital, Jakarta, Special Region Jakarta, Indonesia.

Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.

 

Abstract

Objectives: Lactoferrin is a multifunctional protein that plays an important role  in immune regulation and defense mechanisms. Lactoferrin is found in body fluids such as breast milk, tears, saliva, joint fluid, vaginal secretions, semen, and plasma. The highest levels are found in human colostrum (8 mg/mL), whereas lower levels are in saliva (0.008 mg/mL). Lactoferrin levels will increase when exposed to infection and/or at the location  of inflammation. The progression of HIV disease is in line with the decrease of CD4 count, leading to a decrease in the immune response; eventually causing the patients to become susceptible to opportunistic infection. In vitro, lactoferrin has a protective effect against infections. This objective of this research was to find out the correlation between the levels of salivary lactoferrin and the number of CD4 count in HIV patients.

 

Methods: The samples used for the tests in this cross-sectional research were taken from 30 patients with HIV and the levels of salivary lactoferrin were analyzed using ELISA method.

 

Results: The laboratory tests conducted on 30 samples (16 samples with CD4 count < 100 cells/ mm3 and 14 samples with CD4 count > 100 cells/mm3) showed that there is a strong and significant correlation (correlation value at 0.63 with p < 0.05) between the level of salivary lactoferrin and the CD4 count in HIV patients. It was also noted that there is a difference in the level of salivary lactoferrin found in the HIV patients with CD4 count < 100 cells/ mm3and those with CD4 count > 100 cells/ mm3.

Conclusions: This research concluded that there is a correlation between the level of salivary lactoferrin and the CD4 count in HIV patients, and there is a difference in the  level of salivary lactoferrin in HIV patients between those with CD4 count less than 100 cells/ mm3 and those that have CD4 count of at least 100 cells/ mm3.