To find an association between oral mucosal human papilloma- and/or Epstein-Barr (HPV,
EBV) virus infection in patients with dry mouth and/or Sjögren's syndrome (SS) compared
to healthy controls and to find connections with salivary gland histopathological
alterations.Ninety-two participants were divided into four groups: 1. healthy controls
(n = 32); 2. xerostomia (n = 28); 3. hyposalivation (n = 22); and 4. SS groups (n
= 10). To detect virus infection brush biopsy was outlined in all groups. Detections
of virus-specific sequences were achieved with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Lip
biopsy and histopathological assessment was performed in groups 2, 3 and 4.HPV positivity
of oral mucosal cells was shown in group 1: 1 (3.12%); group 2: 3 (10.7%); group 3:
2 (8.26%); and in group 4: 0 of the samples. EBV was present in group 1: 14 (43.7%);
group 2: 17 (60.7%); group 3: 6 (27.3%); and in group 4: 5 (50%) of the cases. There
was no statistically significant difference between the attributes. Intact salivary
gland in 28.2%, chronic sialadenitis in 28.2%, stromal fibrosis in 6.5%, lipomatous
atrophy in 8.6%, fibrous atrophy in 6.5% and positive focus score (SS) in 26.1% were
found in the subjects. Neither HPV nor EBV infection caused statistically significantly
more histological abnormalities.Orofacial mucosal HPV and/or EBV DNA rates did not
differ statistically significantly in patients with xerostomia or hyposalivation or
SS compared to healthy controls, therefore, it cannot prove the provocative role of
these viruses in dry mouth and/or SS. Neither dry mouth nor SS were accompanied by
statistically significantly more salivary gland alterations in HPV- and/or EBV-positive
subjects; these alterations are frequent in the virus-negative cases too.
