Prevalence of oral hairy leukoplakia and epithelial infection by Epstein-Barr virus in pregnant women and diabetes mellitus patients--cytopathologic and molecular study.
Oral hairy leukoplakia (OHL) is generally reported in patients with severe immunosuppression, except for a few cases in individuals with moderate degree of immunodeficiency. It is a white lesion that appears mainly in the lateral border of the tongue, caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The nuclear changes caused by EBV (Cowdry A inclusion, ground glass and nuclear beading), observed in cytopathology, are specific and enough for the definitive diagnosis of OHL, independent of the identification of the virus. Here we investigated the prevalence of OHL and the presence of EBV-DNA in the lateral borders of the tongue from 90 pregnant women, 90 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients, 30 healthy individuals (negative group) and 30 HIV+ with OHL (positive group). Smears were analyzed by cytopathology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A case of subclinical OHL and candidiasis was identificated in a DM patient by cytopathologic analysis. PCR results demonstrated EBV-DNA in 65% of the pregnant women, in 35% of DM patients, and in 20% of the healthy individuals. We concluded that DM patients can develop OHL with a low prevalence. Furthermore, the prevalence of the EBV in lateral border of the tongue is larger in pregnant women than in healthy individuals.
Milagres
Adrianna
A
Hospital Universitário Antônio Pedro, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brasil.
Dias
Eliane Pedra
EP
Tavares
Débora Dos Santos
Ddos S
Cavalcante
Roberta Miranda
RM
Dantas
Vivian Antunes
VA
de Oliveira
Silvia Paula
SP
Leite
José Paulo Gagliardi
JP
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D017733:Leukoplakia, Hairy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D015995:Prevalence; D014059:Tongue / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology
D004279:DNA, Viral