New opportunities for complex treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis in HIV-infected patients in the later stages of the disease

Treatment of recurrent oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) in HIV-infected patients is a serious clinical problem due to the emergence of resistant Candida strains, the risk of invasive disease, and high economic costs, which warrants the need for new treatment regimens.

Aim. To improve the treatment regimen of OPC in the later stages of HIV infection by combining the complex herbal medicinal product Tonsilgon^® N with fluconazole and evaluate the effectiveness of this combination.

Materials and methods. A comparative randomized clinical study included 65 patients divided into observation and comparison groups, receiving fluconazole plus Tonsilgon^® H and fluconazole monotherapy, respectively, for 7 days. On days 1 and 8, the severity of OPC clinical signs was assessed using a visual analog scale. The secretory immunoglobulin A in saliva was measured as a criterion for changing the level of local mucosal protection of the oral cavity and pharynx.

Conclusion. This treatment regimen for oropharyngeal candidiasis in patients with HIV infection in the later stages of the disease (IVB–IVC) with fluconazole and Tonsilgon^® N is effective, which is confirmed by a significantly more pronounced regression of clinical signs (p^M–U<0.01), as well as an increase in the level of secretory immunoglobulin A in the oral fluid (from 0.62±0.33 g/L to 0.81±0.18 g/L; p<0.05).