Herpesvirus in the oral cavity of children with leukaemia and its impact on the oral bacterial community profile

Aims This cross-sectional study investigated the association between eight herpesviruses and the bacterial community profiles from the oral cavity of children with and without leukaemia. Methods Sixty participants (aged 3–13), divided into the leukaemia group (LG) and healthy group (HG), were evaluated. Collection of medical data, intraoral examination and collection of clinical specimens were carried out. Single PCR and nested-PCR techniques were used to identify the viral types; denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and real-time PCR techniques were used to evaluate the profile and abundance of bacterial communities. Results All the children with leukaemia were positive for at least one type of herpesvirus, compared with healthy participants (33.3%; p Conclusions Based on the results, the prevalence of herpesviruses and the qualitative bacterial profiles was higher in children with leukaemia and HCMV, HHV-7 and HHV-8 were related to the use of chemotherapy. Moreover, HHV-6 was correlated with an increased bacterial community profile in patients with leukaemia (p