Herpesviruses in periodontal pocket and gingival tissue specimens

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Epstein-Barr virus type 1 (EBV-1) are freq uently detected in crevicular fluid of deep periodontal pockets, but little or no information is available on occurence of herpesviruses in gingival t issue. This investigation studied the presence of herpesviruses in periodon tal pockets and the corresponding gingival tissues from 11 periodontally he althy and 14 periodontitis sites. A nested-polymerase chain reaction was em ployed to identify the presence of HCMV, EBV-1, EBV-2, herpes simplex virus , human herpesvirus (HHV)-6, HHV-7 and HHV-8 in each test sample. In health y periodontal sites, HCMV was detected in 1 (9%) and EBV-1 in 2 (18%) pocke t samples, and HCMV was detected in 2 (18%) and EBV 1 in 3 (27%) gingival t issue samples. In periodontitis lesions, HCMV was detected in 9 (64%) pocke t samples and in 12 (86%) gingival tissue samples, and EBV-1 was detected i n 6 (43%) pocket samples and in 11 (79%) gingival tissue samples. HHV-6 and HHV-8 were detected exclusively in gingival tissue samples. The present fi ndings confirm the frequent presence of HCMV and EBV-1 in periodontitis les ions and suggest using gingival tissue specimens for detecting periodontal HHV-6, HHV-7 and HHV-8.