Relationship of oral disease to the presence of cytomegalovirus DNA in the saliva of AIDS patients

Cytomegalovirus is an important pathogen in persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus. In this study a thorough oral examination was done and blood and urine cultures for cytomegalovirus were obtained from a group of 31 patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome with CD4 lymphocyte counts less than 150 cells/mm3. Whole saliva was also collected for detection of cytomegalovirus deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) via the polymerase chain reaction. The presence of cytomegalovirus DNA in the saliva specimens was not related to the presence of cytomegalovirus in the urine, which suggests a local source of cytomegalovirus from salivary gland and kidney parenchyma. There was also a strong statistical relationship between salivary cytomegalovirus DNA and xerostomia (p = 0.0004), which suggests that cytomegalovirus may be a cause of salivary gland dysfunction in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome with low CD4 counts.