Periodontitis lesions are the main source of salivary cytomegalovirus.
BACKGROUND
Herpesviruses play causal or cooperative roles in childhood infections, tumorigenesis, ulcerogenesis, and periodontitis. Saliva is a common vehicle of herpesvirus horizontal transmission, but the source of salivary herpesviruses remains obscure. To evaluate the significance of periodontal disease in shedding of oral herpesviruses, this study determined the genome-copy counts of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in whole saliva of subjects with periodontitis, gingivitis, or no natural teeth.


METHODS
Whole saliva was collected from 14 periodontitis patients, 15 gingivitis patients and 13 complete denture wearers. The study subjects were systemically healthy and had not received periodontal treatment in the past 3 months. Real-time TaqMan polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the salivary load of HCMV and EBV.


RESULTS
Salivary HCMV was detected in seven (50%) periodontitis patients, but not in any gingivitis or edentulous subjects (P < 0.001). Salivary EBV was detected in 11 (79%) periodontitis patients, in five (33%) gingivitis patients, and in seven (54%) edentulous subjects (P = 0.076). Salivary samples showed copy counts of HCMV in the range of 3.3 x 10(3)-4.2 x 10(4)/ml and of EBV in the range of 3.6 x 10(2)-1.6 x 10(9)/ml.


CONCLUSIONS
HCMV and EBV are commonly present in the saliva of periodontitis patients. Periodontitis lesions of systemically healthy subjects seem to constitute the main origin of salivary HCMV, but do not comprise the sole source of salivary EBV.
Sahin
S
S
Department of Periodontology, Gülhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
Saygun
I
I
Kubar
A
A
Slots
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D003824:Denture, Complete / Q000821:virology; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D018628:Gene Dosage; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000821:virology*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012463:Saliva / Q000821:virology*; D019562:Viral Load; D017201:Virus Shedding
D004279:DNA, Viral