Prevalence of oral hairy leukoplakia and epithelial infection by Epstein-Barr virus in pregnant women and diabetes mellitus patients cytopathologic and molecular study

• Published in: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz Vol. 102; no. 2; pp. 159 - 164
• Main Authors: Milagres, Adrianna, Dias, Eliane Pedra, dos Santos Tavares, Débora, Cavalcante, Roberta Miranda, Dantas, Vivian Antunes, de Oliveira, Silvia Paula, Leite, José Paulo Gagliardi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz 31.05.2007; Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ)
• Subjects: Adult; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - epidemiology; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - pathology; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - virology; Brazil - epidemiology; Candidiasis - epidemiology; Candidiasis - pathology; Case-Control Studies; cytopathology; diabetes mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus - virology; DNA, Viral - analysis; Epstein-Barr virus; Female; Herpesvirus 4, Human - genetics; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Leukoplakia, Hairy - epidemiology; Leukoplakia, Hairy - pathology; Leukoplakia, Hairy - virology; oral hairy leukoplakia; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - epidemiology; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - pathology; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - virology; pregnant; Prevalence; Tongue - pathology; Tongue - virology; Brazil
• ISSN: 1678-8060; 0074-0276; 1678-8060
• DOI: 10.1590/S0074-02762007000200006

Oral hairy leukoplakia (OHL) is generally reported in patients with severe immunosuppression, except for a few cases in individuals with moderate degree of immunodeficiency. It is a white lesion that appears mainly in the lateral border of the tongue, caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The nuclear changes caused by EBV (Cowdry A inclusion, ground glass and nuclear beading), observed in cytopathology, are specific and enough for the definitive diagnosis of OHL, independent of the identification of the virus. Here we investigated the prevalence of OHL and the presence of EBV-DNA in the lateral borders of the tongue from 90 pregnant women, 90 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients, 30 healthy individuals (negative group) and 30 HIV+ with OHL (positive group). Smears were analyzed by cytopathology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A case of subclinical OHL and candidiasis was identificated in a DM patient by cytopathologic analysis. PCR results demonstrated EBV-DNA in 65% of the pregnant women, in 35% of DM patients, and in 20% of the healthy individuals. We concluded that DM patients can develop OHL with a low prevalence. Furthermore, the prevalence of the EBV in lateral border of the tongue is larger in pregnant women than in healthy individuals.