Background: To analyze the presence of salivary Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA in oral squamous cell carcinoma and potentially malignant oral disorders.
Material and methods: Three groups were studied: Group 1 (12 oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC)), Group 2 (12 potentially malignant oral disorders (PMD)) and Group 3 (47 healthy controls). EBV DNA salivary analysis was performed by PCR.
Results: The highest percentage of positive salivary EBV DNA corresponded to the OSCC group (58.3%), followed by the PMD group (41.7%) and the controls (40.4%). The differences between groups were not statistically significant, however (p>0.05).
Conclusions: Salivary EBV DNA was more prevalent in OSCC than in PMD or the controls.