UKY DENTAL COBRE: ORAL INFECTIONS: VIRAL INFECTIONS IN CHRONIC ORAL DISEASES

本子项目是利用由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源的众多研究子项目之一。子项目和研究者（PI）可能已经从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金，因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。列出的机构是中心的，不一定是研究者的机构。虽然细菌是牙周炎的主要病原体，但人类疱疹病毒据称与牙周组织炎症有关。这可能很重要，因为疱疹病毒通过多种机制调节宿主的免疫反应。本研究的目的是验证疱疹病毒增强牙周病发病机制的假设。我们的假设正在通过三种方法进行检验：1)通过分析有牙周病和无牙周病患者的临床样本来确定疱疹病毒在牙周炎中的作用；2)在大鼠模型中研究疱疹病毒促进牙周炎进展的能力；3)明确巨细胞病毒（CMV）免疫调节机制。我们已经启动了招募100名牙周病患者的计划，收集牙菌斑和唾液样本。实时荧光定量PCR将用于检测人类疱疹病毒的DNA斑块从健康和患病部位和平行唾液样本。这种方法已经成功地用于鉴定唾液中的所有8种hhv，目前正在优化以检测斑块中的病毒DNA。在第二个项目中，我们获得了大鼠巨细胞病毒（RCMV） Maastricht株，繁殖了实验室库存并获得了病毒的滴度。将于2005年初夏开始对动物接种牙龈假单胞菌和/或RCMV。在CMV免疫调节的分子机制研究中，我们成功构建并纯化了表达GFP（绿色荧光蛋白）的重组CMV。此外，我们克隆了巨细胞病毒vIL-10基因。我们发现了5种以前未被识别的vIL-10亚型。我们正在体外鉴定8种不同的vIL-10亚型，并使用生物信息学方法分析它们的氨基酸序列。由于巨细胞病毒vIL-10是一种有效的免疫抑制剂，我们正在开始研究它在调节口腔上皮和牙龈成纤维细胞对细菌入侵的宿主反应中的作用。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Although bacteria are the primary pathogens in periodontitis, human herpesviruses have a purported relationship with inflamed periodontal tissues. This could be important because herpesviruses modulate host immune responses through a variety of mechanisms. The goal of this research was to test the hypothesis that herpesviruses enhance the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases. Our hypothesis is being examined using three approaches: 1) determine the role of herpesviruses in periodontitis by analyzing clinical samples from patients with and without periodontal disease, 2) investigating the ability of herpesvirus to enhance the progression of periodontitis in the rat model; and 3) define mechanisms of immunomodulation by cytomegalovirus (CMV). We have initiated a plan to recruit 100 patients with periodontal disease and collect dental plaques and saliva samples. Real-time PCR will be used to detect DNA of human herpesvirus in plaque from healthy and diseased sites and parallel saliva samples. This method that has been successfully used to identify all 8 HHVs in saliva is being optimized to detect viral DNA in plaque. In the second project, we have obtained rat CMV (RCMV) Maastricht strain, propagated lab stocks and obtained titers on the virus. Animal inoculation(s) with P. gingivalis and/or RCMV will be initiated in early summer 2005. In the study of molecular mechanisms of immunomodulation by CMV, we have successfully constructed and purified a recombinant CMV that expresses GFP (green fluorescence protein). In addition, we cloned CMV vIL-10 gene. We discovered 5 previously unidentified vIL-10 isoforms. We are in the process of characterizing 8 different vIL-10 isoforms in vitro and analyzing their amino acid sequences using bioinformatics methods. Because CMV vIL-10 is a potent immune suppressor, we are initiating study to determine its roles in modulating the host response of oral epithelia and gingival fibroblasts against bacterial invasion.