Herpesviral-bacterial co-infection in mandibular third molar pericoronitis.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to assess the presence of herpesviruses and periodontopathic bacteria and to establish their potential association with pericoronitis.


METHODS
Fifty samples obtained with paper points (30 from pericoronitis and 20 controls) were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. A single-stage and nested PCR assays were used to detect herpesviruses: human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and six periodontopathic anaerobic bacteria: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Parvimonas micra, Treponema denticola, and Tannarella forsythia.


RESULTS
Pericoronitis samples harbored HCMV and EBV at significantly higher rates than the control group (70 vs. 40 % and 46.7 vs. 15 %, P = 0.035, P = 0.021, respectively). P. micra and T. forsythia (66.7 vs. 0 %, and 40 vs. 10 %, P = 0.001, P = 0.021, respectively) were significantly more common in pericoronitis compared to the control group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of T. forsythia was associated with pericoronitis development (OR 7.3, 95 % CI, 1.2-43.2, P = 0.028).


CONCLUSIONS
The occurrence of HCVM and EBV extends our previous knowledge on microbiota in pericoronitis. These PCR-based findings demonstrated that bacterial and viral DNA occurred concomitantly in pericoronitis samples. T. forsythia appeared to be significantly associated with pericoronitis development in the examined sample.


CONCLUSIONS
Herpesviral-bacterial co-infections might exacerbate the progression of pericoronitis.
Clinic of Oral Surgery and Implantology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, dr. Subotica 4, Belgrade, 11 000, Serbia. dr.sasuli@hotmail.com.
Aleksandar
A
Jakovljevic
Clinic of Oral Surgery and Implantology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, dr. Subotica 4, Belgrade, 11 000, Serbia.
Miroslav
M
Andric
Department of Virology, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, dr. Subotica 1, Belgrade, 11 000, Serbia.
Aleksandra
A
Knezevic
Department of Medical Statistics and Informatics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr. Subotica 1, Belgrade, 11 000, Serbia.
Biljana
B
Milicic
Clinic of Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, Rankeova 4, Belgrade, 11 000, Serbia.
Katarina
K
Beljic-Ivanovic
Clinic of Periodontology and Oral Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr. Subotica 4, Belgrade, 11 000, Serbia.
Neda
N
Perunovic
Department of Biology and Human Genetics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr. Subotica 1, Belgrade, 11 000, Serbia.
Nadja
N
Nikolic
Department of Biology and Human Genetics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr. Subotica 1, Belgrade, 11 000, Serbia.
Jelena
J
Milasin
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D060085:Coinfection; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000821:virology*; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008964:Molar, Third; D010497:Pericoronitis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
Epstein-Barr virus; Human cytomegalovirus; Parvimonas micra; Pericoronitis; Polymerase chain reaction; Tannarella forsythia