Prevalence of human herpesviruses in patients with aggressive periodontitis.
BACKGROUND
Recent studies have demonstrated that various human viruses, especially cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Epstein-Barr virus type-1 (EBV-1), seem to play a part in the pathogenesis of human periodontitis. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the subgingival presence of HCMV and EBV in patients with aggressive periodontitis (AgP) and healthy subjects and to examine the effect of treatment on the incidence of these viruses 3 months following surgery.


METHODS
A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method determined the presence of HCMV and EBV-1. Subgingival plaque samples from 17 consecutive AgP patients and 16 healthy controls were collected. The following indices were measured: plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), probing depths (PD), and clinical attachment loss (CAL). Clinical parameters were assessed pretherapy and at 3 months following surgical and antimicrobial therapy.


RESULTS
HCMV was detected in 64.7% of AgP patients but not detected in healthy subjects (P < 0.001) and EBV-1 in 70.6% of AgP patients and 6.3% of the healthy controls (P < 0.001). HCMV and EBV-1 coinfection was detected in 41.7% of AgP patients. A statistically significant decrease was found in all clinical parameters 3 months after treatment. There was a statistically significant decrease in HCMV and EBV-1 following therapy (P < 0.001; no HCMV; 1 patient with EBV-1).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that subgingival presence of EBV-1 HCMV is strongly associated with aggressive periodontitis, and coinfection with HCMV and EBV-1 appears to be particularly deleterious to periodontal health.
Yapar
Mehmet
M
Gülhane Military Medical Academy, Department of Virology, Ankara, Turkey.
Saygun
Işil
I
Ozdemir
Atilla
A
Kubar
Ayhan
A
Sahin
Sermet
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000821:virology; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005881:Gingiva / Q000821:virology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000145:classification / Q000601:surgery; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000145:classification / Q000601:surgery; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013524:Surgical Flaps
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004318:Doxycycline