Betaherpesvirus Incidence in Saliva Samples From Patients With Hematological Neoplasms: Frequency, Clinic and Diagnostic Insights

Hematological neoplasms (HN) are disorders originating in blood cells that hold significant epidemiological importance. Treatments available for these conditions can induce immunosuppression, and it increases the risk of viral infections and reactivations, mainly by Human betaherpesviruses (HCMV, HHV-6, and HHV-7). Studies have suggested that these viruses play potential oncogenic role in hematological neoplasms, although results remain inconclusive. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency and viral load of betaherpesviruses in saliva samples from patients with hematological neoplasms, and to explore their relevance to clinicopathological characteristics. In total, 260 saliva samples collected from patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) (n = 29), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) (n = 106), leukemia (n = 85) and multiple myeloma (MM) (n = 40) were analyzed in multiplex qPCR. The result was compared with control group samples from patients without hematological neoplasm (n = 159). HHV-7 was the most frequently detected betaherpesvirus, identified in 15.8% (41/260) of patients with hematological neoplasms. In comparison, HCMV and HHV-6 were detected in 12 (4.6%) and 11 (4.2%) patients, respectively. In the control group, HCMV was detected in 2 individuals (1.3%), HHV-6 in 6 (3.8%), and HHV-7 in 14 (8.8%). A statistically significant difference in HHV-7 detection was observed between patients and controls (p = 0.005). Additionally, HCMV detection showed a significant difference between patients with HL and MM (p = 0.036). The detection of betaherpesviruses, particularly HHV-7, was more frequent and viral in patients with hematologic malignancies compared to the control group, with statistically significant differences observed. In summary, HHV-7 was the most frequently detected virus, found in 15.8% of patients versus 8.8% of controls. However, its presence in saliva alone does not confirm disease association. Our findings reinforce the need for longitudinal studies to clarify the potential pathogenic role of HHV-7 and other betaherpesviruses in hematological neoplasms, and their possible impact on patient outcomes.