Associations between Oral Human Herpesvirus-6 and -7 and Periodontal Conditions in Older Adults
Natsuki Hamada,
Hideo Shigeishi,
Iori Oka,
Mio Sasaki,
Honami Kitasaki,
Mariko Nakamura,
Kanako Yano,
Chia-Hsin Wu,
Yoshino Kaneyasu,
Tomoko Maehara,
Masaru Sugiyama,
Kouji Ohta
Affiliations
Natsuki Hamada
Department of Public Oral Health, Program of Oral Health Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
Hideo Shigeishi
Department of Public Oral Health, Program of Oral Health Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
Iori Oka
Department of Public Oral Health, Program of Oral Health Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
Mio Sasaki
Department of Public Oral Health, Program of Oral Health Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
Honami Kitasaki
Department of Public Oral Health, Program of Oral Health Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
Mariko Nakamura
Department of Public Oral Health, Program of Oral Health Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
Kanako Yano
Department of Public Oral Health, Program of Oral Health Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
Chia-Hsin Wu
Department of Public Oral Health, Program of Oral Health Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
Yoshino Kaneyasu
Department of Public Oral Health, Program of Oral Health Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
Tomoko Maehara
Department of Public Oral Health, Program of Oral Health Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
Masaru Sugiyama
Department of Public Oral Health, Program of Oral Health Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
Kouji Ohta
Department of Public Oral Health, Program of Oral Health Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan
Background: The associations between oral human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) and HHV-7, periodontal conditions, and lifestyle-related diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, have not been fully investigated in older adults. Methods: Seventy-four older patients who visited Hiroshima University Hospital were enrolled. Tongue swab samples were employed, and a real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect HHV-6 and HHV-7 DNA. Dental plaque accumulation, probing pocket depth, and bleeding on probing (BOP) (i.e., a sign of periodontal inflammation) were examined. The periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) value (i.e., an indicator of the severity of periodontitis) was also examined. Results: Of the 74 participants, one participant (1.4%) was HHV-6 DNA-positive and 36 participants (48.6%) were HHV-7 DNA-positive. A significant association between HHV-7 DNA and probing depth was found (p = 0.04). The HHV-7 DNA-positive participants had a higher positive rate of a ≥6-mm periodontal pocket with BOP (25.0%) than the HHV-7 DNA-negative participants (7.9%). Additionally, the HHV-7 DNA-positive participants had a higher PISA value than the HHV-7 DNA-negative participants. However, there was no significant association between HHV-7 and the PISA value (p = 0.82). No significant association was found between HHV-7 and lifestyle-related diseases (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Oral HHV-7 infection is associated with a deep periodontal pocket.
