Lack of Association Between Herpesvirus Detection in Saliva and Gingivitis in Hiv‑infected Children

Abstract

The aims of this study were to compare the detection of human herpesviruses (HHVs) in the saliva of HIV-infected and healthy control children, and to evaluate associations between viral infection and gingivitis and immunodeficiency. Saliva samples were collected from 48 HIV-infected and 48 healthy control children. Clinical and laboratory data were collected during dental visits and from medical records. A trained dentist determined gingival indices and extension of gingivitis. Saliva samples were tested for herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2), varicella zoster virus (VZV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and cytomegalovirus (CMV) by nested polymerase chain reaction assays. Thirty-five HIV-infected and 16 control children had gingivitis. Seventeen (35.4%) HIV-infected children and 13 (27%) control children were positive for HHVs. CMV was the most commonly detected HHV in both groups (HIV-infected, 25%; control, 12.5%), followed by HSV-1 (6.2% in both groups) and HSV-2 (HIV-infected, 4.2%; control, 8.3%). The presence of HHVs in saliva was not associated with the presence of gingivitis in HIV-1-infected children (p = 0.104) or healthy control children (p = 0.251), or with immunosuppression in HIV-infected individuals (p = 0.447). Gingivitis was correlated with HIV infection (p = 0.0001). These results suggest that asymptomatic salivary detection of HHVs is common in HIV-infected and healthy children, and that it is not associated with gingivitis.

Viral Diseases Transmissible by Kissing

“…126 On the contrary, high HSV-2 salivary detection rates have been reported among Brazilian HIV-infected and healthy children (4.2% and 8.3%, respectively). 127 HSV-2 may not be detected in the saliva of HIV-seropositive persons undergoing highly active antiretroviral therapy. 128 Based on a study on herpesvirus prevalence among 16-year-old Swedish girls, it was suggested that "transmission of herpesviruses is common in adolescence, and sex, even with regard to its close association with kissing, is one important determinant" 129 ; however, in that series antibodies to HSV-2 were seen only in 1% of participants, and to date kissing transmission has not been reliably demonstrated.…”

Viruses and oral diseases in HIV‐infected individuals on long‐term antiretroviral therapy: What are the risks and what are the mechanisms?

“…In PLWH with gingivitis, Pg and CMV presented higher frequency in subgingival plaque (95.6% and 91.3%, respectively ( p < .0005), and Tannerella (47.8%) and EBV (78.3%) were detected in subgingival plaque and saliva (52.2% and 52.2%, p < .005) (Grande et al., 2011). Interestingly, HIV‐positive children with gingivitis attending a dental school in Rio de Janeiro demonstrated similar low levels of HSV compared to HIV‐negative children with gingivitis (6.2%), twice as much CMV (25% vs. 12.5%), with no EBV or varicella‐zoster virus (Otero et al., 2015).…”

Association of Epstein-Barr Virus (Ebv) but Not Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) With Gingivitis and/or Periodontitis in Transplanted Individuals

“…In our study, we found an overall prevalence of 35.2% of EBV in tissue biopsies from gingivitis and periodontitis, which is compatible to the described prevalence in the literature 10 . A recent study has failed to detect EBV in saliva from HIV-infected children with gingivitis in Brazil 2 . However, it is known that several factors can influence the viral detection in periodontitis, including the sample type, methodological approaches and geographical/ethnical differences regarding the herpesviruses occurrence 10 .…”

“…Some viral agents have been associated with the pathogenesis of oral lesions in immunocompetent and immunosuppressed individuals, especially DNA viruses such as papillomaviruses and herpesviruses 1 . It has been postulated that the latter group triggers tissue damage which is further increased by the host inflammatory response 2 , creating an enabling an environment for the replication/reactivation of viral agents that may contribute to the pathogenesis of oral lesions 3 . However, the effect of the viral association in tissue damage is uncertain.…”

“… HPV: Human papillomavirus; EBV: Epstein-Barr virus; Category: positive (+) or negative (-) samples for the tested virus; Tx: transplanted patients; Non-Tx: non-transplanted individuals; 1 c 2 test or Fisher exact test.Statistical significant results ( p <.05) are in bold letter. …”