Herpesvirus infection of inflammatory cells in human periodontitis

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Epstein-Barr virus type 1 (EBV-1) are freq uently detected in human periodontitis lesions. However, no information is available on the types of gingival cells infected by herpesviruses. The pre sent study determined the presence of herpesviruses in polymorphonuclear ne utrophils, monocytes, macrophages and T and B lymphocytes in biopsies of pe riodontitis lesions from 20 adults. A nested polymerase chain reaction meth od was employed to detect HCMV, EBV-1, EBV-2, human herpes virus-6 and herp es simplex virus (HSV) in periodontal tissue biopsy and in gingival cell fr actions separated by immunomagnetic cell sorting. Tissue specimens from 18 (90%) and cell fractions from 14 (70%) patients demonstrated herpesviruses. Periodontitis-derived monocytes and macrophages revealed HCMV in cell frac tions from 11 (55%) patients and HSV in cells from 1 (5%) patient. T lympho cytes harbored HCMV in cell fractions from 4 (20%) patients and HSV in cell fractions from 4 (20%) patients. B lymphocytes showed EBV-1 in cell fracti ons from 9 (45%) patients. Periodontal polymorphonuclear neutrophils demons trated no herpesviruses. This study suggests that HCMV mainly infects perio dontal monocytes, macrophages and less frequently T lymphocytes and that EB V-1 infects periodontal B lymphocytes. The possible etio-pathologic signifi cance of periodontal herpesvirus infection is discussed.