title: Revelation of Viral - Bacterial Interrelationship in Aggressive Periodontitis via Polymerase Chain Reaction: A Microbiological Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Periodontal disease is one of the most common and complex disease affecting mankind. Being multifactorial in etiology it encompasses a variety of infectious entities with various unique microbial constellations and immune responses. A bacteriologic cause alone seems insufficient in explaining several clinical features of the periodontal disease. Recent studies suggest that periodontal herpes viruses comprise an important source of triggering periodontal tissue destruction. The following study aims to assess human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV-I) interaction with the established periodontopathic bacteriae, Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) in pathogenesis of aggressive periodontitis (AgP) using Hotstart polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 30 subjects, 15 with AgP and 15 healthy controls contributed random subgingival plaque samples. PCR methodology was used to identify the subgingival herpesviruses, Pg, and Aa. Yates corrected Chi-square test was employed to identify a statistical association between herpesviruses and periodontopathic bacteriae.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Findings suggested that viruses may be pertinent to disease progression. The prevalence of the periodontopathic bacteria Aa was found in 53.33% (P = 0.0168, S) and Pg in 40% (P = 0.2155, NS) of the AgP patients. Herpesviruses, HCMV and EBV-I were found to have a prevalence of 46.67% (P = 0.039, S) and 40% (P = 0.084, NS). The viral and bacterial co-infection was found to be 77.78% (P = 0.0002, S) with Aa and HCMV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present data reveals, viruses may exert periodontopathic effect by causing local immunosupression which may set a stage for the subgingival colonization and multiplication of periodontal bacteriae. Further studies are needed to develop an understanding into the significance of herpesviruses in human periodontitis which, may allow for improved diagnosis, more specific therapy and ultimately disease prevention.
authors.affiliation: Reader, Department of Periodontology, Jaipur Dental College and Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Sumit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Reader, Department of Periodontology, Al-Badar Dental College and Hospital, Gulbarga, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Roopali P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Tapashetti
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Periodontology, KLE Dental College, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Sudhir R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Patil
authors.affiliation: Post Graduate, Department of Periodontics, Maharana Pratap College of Dentistry and Research Centre, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Sonali Medsinge
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kalra
authors.affiliation: Reader, Department of Periodontics, Jaipur Dental College, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Geetha K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Bhat
authors.affiliation: Reader, Department of Periodontics, SVS Institute of Dental Sciences, Mahabubnagar, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Sowjanya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guvva
keywords: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans; Aggressive periodontitis; Epstein-Barr virus; Porphyromonas gingivalis; human cytomegalovirus; polymerase chain reaction