title: Viral serological and molecular data on possible involvement of herpes viruses in periodontal disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent studies have suggested that latent herpes virus infections can be associated with chronic periodontal sites that exhibit a predisposition to disease progression. The aim of this study was to identify the possible relationship between infections with CMV and EBV and the severity of periodontal disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty two patients aged between 27 and 70 years, diagnosed with periodontal disease were enrolled in the study after giving informed consent. Quantitative immunoenzymatic assays were used to determine the concentration of anti CMV and EBV antibodies. The presence of CMV and EBV DNA was tested in biopsies from periodontal tissues using an in-house PCR adapted after a method described previously.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher titers of the anti CMV antibodies appear to be correlated with the severity of the periodontal lesions (p<0, 05). These correlations have not been found for anti EBV antibodies. Higher titers of specific anti CMV and EBV antibodies were correlated with a history of periodontal treatment (p<0, 05). Only two samples were positive for the viral genome. Both samples were collected from female patients diagnosed with very advanced forms of periodontal disease. Although the molecular biology data from the present study do not support the pathogenic involvement of EBV or CMV in the development of chronic periodontitis lesions, the serological data might be important markers for the evolution and severity of the periodontal disease.
authors.affiliation: Titu Maiorescu University, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Bucharest, Romania. Electronic address: cristiana_antipa@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Cristiana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Antipa
authors.affiliation: Stefan S Nicolau Institute of Virology, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Coralia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bleotu
authors.affiliation: Stefan S Nicolau Institute of Virology, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Camelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grancea
authors.affiliation: Titu Maiorescu University, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Andreea Oana
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Rosu
authors.affiliation: Stefan S Nicolau Institute of Virology, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Anton
authors.affiliation: Stefan S Nicolau Institute of Virology, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ruta
keywords: Chronic periodontitis; Cytomegalovirus; Epstein Barr virus