Cytomegalovirus periodontal presence is associated with subgingival <i>Dialister pneumosintes</i> and alveolar bone loss

<jats:p>Destructive periodontal disease is associated with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), Epstein‐Barr type 1 virus (EBV‐1) and other members of the Herpesviridae family as well as with various gram‐negative anaerobic bacteria, including the <jats:italic>Dialister pneumosintes</jats:italic> species. This study aimed to determine possible interrelationships between periodontal HCMV, EBV‐1, herpes simplex virus and <jats:italic>D. pneumosintes</jats:italic>, and relate the microbiological findings to periodontitis clinical status. Sixteen subjects each contributed paper point samples from two progressing and two stable periodontitis lesions, as determined by ongoing loss of probing attachment. Polymerase chain reaction methodology was used to identify the study herpesviruses and <jats:italic>D. pneumosintes</jats:italic>. Chi‐squared tests, Fisher exact tests and multivariate logistic regression were employed to identify statistical associations among herpesviruses, bacteria and clinical variables. HCMV, and no other virus or combination of viruses, was positively associated with the presence of <jats:italic>D. pneumosintes</jats:italic>, and the relationship was specific for individual periodontitis sites with no detectable subject effect<jats:italic>. D. pneumosintes</jats:italic> was in turn positively associated with periodontal pocket depth and disease‐active periodontitis. When the average percentage of alveolar bone loss in all teeth was treated as a response, HCMV remained significant even after <jats:italic>D. pneumosintes</jats:italic> was included in the model, suggesting that both HCMV and <jats:italic>D. pneumosintes</jats:italic> affected bone loss or, alternatively, HCMV affected factors not studied that themselves can induce bone loss. We hypothesize that periodontal HCMV sets the stage for subgingival proliferation of <jats:italic>D. pneumosintes</jats:italic> and subsequent periodontal disease progression. Studies on herpesviral–bacterial interactions may hold great promise for delineating important etio‐pathogenic aspects of destructive periodontal disease.</jats:p>