title: Seroprevalence of HSV-1/2 and correlation with aggravation of oral mucositis in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region submitted to antineoplastic treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Oral mucositis (OM) is a frequent side effect resulting from antineoplastic treatment and is described as an acute alteration characterized by ulcerative lesions, with the presence of a persistent chronic inflammatory infiltrate, erythema, and pain.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the study was to evaluate the presence of the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1/2) in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region (SCC) and its influence on the aggravation of oral mucositis after radiotherapy or radio/chemotherapy treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective cohort study, 91 patients were evaluated with regard to their serological status for IgG before treatment (initial time interval--TI) and for IgM before treatment (T1) and on the 30th day after the first day of radiotherapy application/radiation therapy (final time interval--TF), using immunoenzymatic assay (ELISA), and the results were correlated with the intensity of OM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The seroprevalence for IgG was 97.8 %. IgM (TI) was positive in 18.7% and IgM (TF) in 20.9% of patients. All the patients developed some degree of oral mucositis; however, there was statistically significant correlation between positivity for IgM and degree of severity of OM, irrespective of the type of treatment to which the patient was submitted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The reactivation of HSV-1/2 was shown to be relatively infrequent and there was no correlation between presence of the virus and aggravation of oral mucositis resulting from antineoplastic treatment.
authors.affiliation: Program in Dentistry at the Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil, andrezalira@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Andreza Veruska Lira
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Correia
authors.forename: Maria Rosângela Cunha Duarte
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Coêlho
authors.forename: Georgea Gertrudes
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: de Oliveira Mendes Cahú
authors.forename: Jéfferson Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: de Almeida Silva
authors.forename: Catarina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: da Mota Vasconcelos Brasil
authors.forename: Jurema Freire Lisboa
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: de Castro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000821:virology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000821:virology*; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M