title: Evaluation of the prevalence of herpes simplex-1 infection in oral squamous cell carcinoma specimens in Alzahra and Kashani Hospitals with polymerase chain reaction method in 2012-2013.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although tobacco, alcohol abuse are well-recognized risk factors for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), there is evidence to indicate that herpes simplex virus (HSV) may also play some inducing role. The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of HSV in Iranian patients with OSCC using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Biopsies of OSCC were obtained from 60 patients, 54 males and 6 females, aged between 36 and 80 years old. Paraffin-embedded, histologically confirmed specimens were analyzed for the presence of HSV DNA using PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only three samples (5%) was positive, suggesting that HSV may not play an important role in this group of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of HSV-1 positive sample in this study was 5%. It shows that HSV-1 has no important role in OSCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mozhgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mokhtari
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mozhdeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beiraghdar
keywords: Herpes simplex virus; oral squamous cell carcinoma; polymerase chain reaction