CHARACTERIZATION OF VIRUSES OF THE HERPESVIRIDADE FAMILY IN THE ORAL CAVITY OF ADULT PATIENTS SUBJECTED TO allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HE)

Abstract

This study aimed to characterize the oral shedding of virus of the Herpesviridae family at 3 different sites in the oral cavity (oral mucosa, supragingival, and subgingival) of adult patients who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to investigate its potential relationship with oral mucositis (OM). We characterized viral excretion and OM development in 31 consecutive adult patients who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (alloHSCT). The samples were collected in all locations at 5 time points during follow-up (C1-C5), adding 2 more collections in patients who developed ulcerative OM—beginning and resolution of the lesion (M1-M2). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzymatic digestion were used to identify different virus of the Herpesviridae family. Herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), human herpesvirus (HHV)-6 A, HHV-6 B, and HHV-7 were detected in 4.97%, 16.02%, 4.41%, 2.20%, 3.31%, and 68% of samples in the oral mucosa; in 4.41%, 16.57%, 5.52%, 2.20%, 5.52%, and 63.53% of samples in the supragingival tissue, and in 4.41%, 18.23%, 2.76%, 1.65%, 2.75%, and 35.91% samples in the subgingival tissue, respectively. The presence of HHV-7 at C2 was significantly increased in patients who developed OM compared with those who did not. The patients who develop OM presented 3.32 times more likely HHV-7 shedding in the oral cavity, suggesting that this disorder might be related to HHV-7 presence.