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ePaper created 2015-11-17, 15:11:47 | version 1.38.0
34 Volume 1 | Issue 1/2015 Journal of Oral Science & Rehabilitation The prevalence and quantitative analysis of the Epstein–Barr virus in healthy implants and implants affected by periimplantitis: A preliminary report Abstract Ob jec tive Viruses, in particular the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), appear to playa role in the genesis and progression ofhuman periodonti- tis and periimplantitis. The aim of the present study was to compare the presence of EBV in healthy periimplant sites or those affected byperiimplantitis. Ma teria ls a n d m eth od s FromJanuary2013to December2014, 50 consecutive subjects with implants affected by periimplantitis and 50 subjects with healthy implants attending for a routine check-up or sponta- neous visits during the study period in three private clinics (Rome and Genoa, Italy, and Belgrade, Serbia) were enrolled in thisclinicalstudy. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assays for EBV were performed on every patient. The internal connec- tionsandexternalsurfacesoftheimplantswereevaluated.Inde- pendent sample t-tests or nonparametric Mann–Whitney U tests were performed to check for any statistically significant differenceineachcontinuousvariablebetweenthetwogroupsof patients(healthyvs.periimplantitis). Res ults Eighty-three patients (40 with healthy implants and 43 with periimplantitis-affected implants) concluded the study. The study evaluated 103 dental implants affected by periimplantitis and197healthyimplants(meantimeofloading:5.31 ± 2.6years). Although28.6%ofthehealthypatientsand37.2%ofthepatients affected by periimplantitis presented at least one site with EBV, thedifferenceswerenotstatisticallysignificant(p> 0.05). C on c lus ion This study did not find a clear link between periimplantitis etiopathogenesis andviral infection. E ps tein – Ba rr v irus a n d pe r i i mplanti ti s Introduction Periimplantitis can be defined as an inflamma- toryprocess ofthe periimplant soft and hardtis- suewithorwithoutprimaryinfection,associated with clinically significant, progressing crestal bone loss after the adaptive phase after pros- theticloading.1 Numerousstudieshaveanalyzed the bacterial flora associated with diseased im- plants to possibly understand the role played by the bacterial infection in the genesis of peri- implantitis.2, 3 This research underlines a similar microbial profile between periimplantitis and periodontitis, with high numbers of periodontal pathogens in periimplant sites (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Prevotella ni- grescens and Aggregatibacter actinomycetem- comitans) confirming data previously reported byLeonhardtetal.4 Viruses, in particular the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) and other herpesviruses, appear to play a role inthe genesis and progression ofhuman pe- riodontitis.5 Viruses infect periodontal B lym- phocytes6 exerting diminished ability to defend against bacterial challenge and permitting the overgrowthofperiodontopathicmicroorganisms. Besides in periodontitis, recent studies have shown a correlation between periimplant infec- tion and the presence of EBV. Jankovic et al. found a high prevalence of Human cytomega- lovirus (HCMV) and EBV DNA in the subgingival plaqueofperiimplantitissites,suggestingapos- sible active pathogenic role in periimplantitis.7 They showed a higher prevalence of EBV and HCMV in periimplantitis sites compared with healthyperiimplantsites.Inasplit-mouthstudy, Verdugo et al. suggested that EBV may be a likely candidate in the etiopathogenesis of peri- implant disease and that periimplantitis etio- pathogenesis could be orchestrated and fueled