Chronic Presence of Epstein Barr Virus in Sulcular and Junctional Epithelial Tissue From Gingiva is Associated With Severe Periodontitis

The etiopathogenesis of periodontal disease results from complex interaction between infectious agents, mainly including bacteria, and host cellular and humoral immune responses. However it is thought that bacteria-induced pathogenesis is not sufficient alone to explain all biological and clinical features of the destructive periodontal disease. The main hypothesis is that herpesviruses, such as Epstein-Barr Virus, may participate as well by altering epithelial gingival cell biology and consequently may promote the initiation and progression of periodontitis.