Oral human cytomegalovirus prevalence and its relationships with periodontitis and Porphyromonas gingivalis in Japanese adults: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Objective This study aimed to clarify the association between oral human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and periodontitis in Japanese adults. Methodology In total, 190 patients (75 men and 115 women; mean age, 70.2 years) who visited Hiroshima University Hospital between March 2018 and May 2020 were included. Oral rinse samples were taken to examine the presence of HCMV DNA using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). P. gingivalis was detected by semi-quantitative PCR analysis. Results HCMV DNA was present in nine of 190 patients (4.7%). There were significant associations between HCMV presence and the presence of ≥4-mm-deep periodontal pockets with bleeding on probing (BOP) (P