Salivary gland involvement in HIV-1 infection.

After infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1, virus can be recovered from both whole saliva (the total fluid contents of the mouth) and individual major salivary gland secretions. The concentration of virus is low, and recovery is infrequent. Antibodies (primarily of the IgA class) to HIV-1 are found in saliva. Despite the presence of virus, the oral cavity does not appear to be a route of transmission for HIV-1. This may relate to protective properties of saliva. It has been reported that whole saliva and mixed submandibular/sublingual secretions inhibit the infectivity of the virus in vitro. HIV infection also induces alterations in salivary gland function. Both salivary output and composition may be affected.