title: Human Cytomegalovirus in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Southeast of Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Carcinogenesis is a multi-step process and the role of infectious agents in this progression has not been fully identified. Since human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is frequently presented in the gingival sulcus fluid, we hypothesized that this virus would be important in the pathogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of active HCMV in different histopathological grades of OSCC in southeast of Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty eight individual specimens were evaluated in this study. Serial sections were obtained from paraffin-embedded tissue samples of OSCC biopsies. The frequency of HCMV was investigated using the real-time polymerase change reaction method after DNA extraction from biopsies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the patients (66.7% female and 33.3% male) was 58.6 years. Only three cases (6.3%) of the grade I, OSCC biopsies, were positive for active HCMV with average load of 57.7 × 10(3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to the low prevalence of HCMV in OSCC, it seems that this virus plays a minor role in this kind of cancer at least in southeast of Iran. More comprehensive studies are needed to investigate the oncomodulatory effect of this virus on OSCC.
authors.affiliation: Oral and Dental Disease Research Center, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Faculty of Dentistry, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Shirin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saravani
authors.affiliation: Oral and Dental Disease Research Center, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Faculty of Dentistry, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Hamideh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kadeh
authors.affiliation: Genetics of Non-Communicable Disease Research Center, Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Ebrahim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miri-Moghaddam
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zekri
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Zabol University, Zabol, IR Iran ; Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Nima
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sanadgol
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Faculty of Dentistry, Zahedan University of Medical Science, Zahedan, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Aliye
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gholami
keywords: Cancer; Cytomegalovirus; Human; Squamous Cell Carcinoma