title: Current status of herpesvirus identification in the oral cavity of HIV-infected children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some viruses of the Herpesviridae family are frequently the etiologic agents of oral lesions associated with HIV. The aim of this study was to identify the presence of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1, HSV-2), Varicella Zoster virus (VZV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), human herpesvirus type 6, type 7 and type 8 (HHV-6, HHV-7 and HHV-8) in the oral cavity of HIV-infected children/adolescents and verify the association between viral subtypes and clinical factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cells of oral mucosa were collected from 50 HIV infected children/adolescents, 3-13 years old (mean age 8.66). The majority (66%) of selected were girls, and they were all outpatients at the pediatric AIDS clinic of a public hospital in Rio de Janeiro. Nested-PCR was used to identify the viral types.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Absence of immunosuppression was observed in 66% of the children. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was used by 72.1% of selected and moderate viral load was observed in 56% of the children/adolescents. Viral types were found in 86% of the children and the subtypes were: HSV-1 (4%), HSV-2 (2%), VZV (4%), EBV (0%), HCMV (24%), HHV6 (18%), HHV-7 (68%), HHV8 (0%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of HAART has helped to reduce oral lesions, especially with herpes virus infections. The health professionals who work with these patients should be aware of such lesions because of their predictive value and the herpes virus can be found circulating in the oral cavity without causing lesions.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Odontopediatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro.
authors.forename: Raquel dos Santos
authors.initials: Rdos S
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.forename: Dennis de Carvalho
authors.initials: Dde C
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Flávia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nóbrega
authors.forename: Norma Suely de Oliveira
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Ivete Pomarico Ribeiro de
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Gloria Fernanda Barbosa de Araujo
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Castro
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000821:virology*; D000293:Adolescent; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral