Detection of cytomegalovirus and Epstein‐Barr virus in labial salivary glands in Sjogren's syndrome and non‐specific sialadenitis

Maitland, Norman; Flint, Stephen; Scully, Crispian; Crean, St. John

To investigate the role of herpes viruses in Sjogren's syndrome, minor (labial) salivary gland tissues from Sjogren's syndrome and from non‐specific sialadenitis were examined for Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) DNA by the polymerase chain reaction. Almost half of all salivary glands studied contained EBV and/or HCMV. There was, however, no significant difference between the detection of EBV or HCMV in salivary glands from patients with Sjogren's syndrome or non‐specific sialadenitis. The findings are consistent with the persistence of EBV and HCMV in minor salivary glands following primary infection, but do not indicate a direct role for either virus in the aetiology of Sjogren's syndrome, and do not exclude reactivation of the viruses in this disease.