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Low prevalence of subgingival viruses in periodontitis patients
Author(s) -
Nibali Luigi,
Atkinson Claire,
Griffiths Paul,
Darbar Ulpee,
Rakmanee Thanasak,
Suvan Jeanie,
Donos Nikos
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of clinical periodontology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.456
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1600-051X
pISSN - 0303-6979
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-051x.2009.01476.x
Subject(s) - aggressive periodontitis , periodontitis , herpes simplex virus , human cytomegalovirus , polymerase chain reaction , medicine , virus , immunology , herpesviridae , virology , cytomegalovirus , chronic periodontitis , biology , viral disease , gene , dentistry , genetics
Background: Viruses such as Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) have been proposed to be periodontal pathogens. The aim of this study was to analyse the presence of herpesvirus DNA in subgingival plaque samples of patients with different forms of periodontitis and in healthy periodontia. Materials and Methods: A total of 140 ethnically mixed (prevalently Caucasian) subjects took part in the study. Sixteen were affected by localized aggressive periodontitis (LAgP), 64 by generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAgP), 20 by chronic periodontitis (CP) and 40 were periodontally healthy. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses were performed to detect HCMV and EBV. Sera were tested for anti‐HCMV and EBV IgG antibodies. PCRs for herpes simplex (HSV) and varicella zoster virus (VZV) were performed in subgingival samples from a subset of 20 AgP subjects. Results: HCMV DNA was not detected in any plaque samples. EBV DNA was detected in four LAgP (25%), two GAgP (3%) subjects and four healthy individuals (10%). HSV DNA and VZV DNA were not detected in the subset of studied individuals. Conclusions: This study challenges the previously reported high prevalence of herpesvirus DNA in subgingival samples from periodontitis patients and so questions whether they act as pathogens in such patients.