ASSOCIATION OF EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS (EBV) BUT NOT HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV) WITH GINGIVITIS AND/OR PERIODONTITIS IN TRANSPLANTED INDIVIDUALS

The aim of this study was to investigate the association of EBV and HPV with gingivitis and/or periodontitis according to the immunologic status. To this end, 74 oral biopsies from transplanted and non-transplanted individuals with the abovementioned oral manifestations were submitted to a screening by PCR for both viruses. According to the results, EBV was strongly associated with gingivitis and/or periodontitis in transplanted individuals (p = 0.011) but not HPV (p = 0.766). EBV-HPV co-detections did not enhance the presence of tissue injury as well. Although a causal relationship was not investigated in this study, the higher frequency of these two oncoviruses in lesion tissues must be investigated in follow-up studies, especially among immunocompromised individuals.