Cytomegalovirus and Cyclosporin - induced gingival overgrowth in children with liver grafts

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether cytomegalovirus (CMV) is associated with gingival overgrowth in paediatric liver graft recipients treated with cyclosporin. STUDY DESIGN: Thirty-four children, 25 of whom were under 5 years of age, who had undergone liver transplantation, were examined. An Index of Severity of Gingival Overgrowth was used to measure the prevalence and severity of the gingival overgrowth. The trough cyclosporin level was recorded and the CMV status of the patient matched to the dental findings. The association between the severity of gingival overgrowth and CMV infection was examined using the contingency coefficient. An anova was used to assess the association between the circulating trough cyclosporin concentration and the severity of gingival overgrowth. Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to examine the association between the duration of exposure to cyclosporin and the severity of gingival overgrowth. RESULTS: There was a significant inverse association between the duration of exposure to cyclosporin and the severity of gingival overgrowth. There was no relationship between the trough cyclosporin concentration and the severity of gingival overgrowth. There was no association between CMV and gingival overgrowth. CONCLUSION: Gingival overgrowth was related to the duration of cyclosporin therapy but was neither more prevalent nor more severe in subjects who were CMV seropositive.