Cytomegalovirus-infected inflammatory cells in dental periapical lesions

Introduction: As cytomegalovirus may be etiologically involved in periapical pathosis of endodontic origin, this study aimed to determine the cellular source of periapical cytomegalovirus. Methods: Periapical granulomatous tissue was collected from 15 extracted teeth with symptomatic periapical lesions. Multi-color flow cytometry was used to identify cytomegalovirus-infected cells. Results: Cytomegalovirus infection was identified in 10 of the 15 (67%) study lesions, and in periapical monocytes/macrophages (40% of lesions) and T lymphocytes (54% of lesions), but not in periapical B lymphocytes. Conclusion: This study and previous polymerase chain reaction-based investigations show that cytomegalovirus is a frequent inhabitant of symptomatic periapical lesions.