A review and proposal for the etiology of acute necrotizing gingivitis

There are numerous correlations between features of acute necrotizing gingivitis (ANG) and virus infections, notably cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections. The age range of occurrence of seroconversions to CMV positive and occurrence of ANG correlate both in industrialized countries (young adults) and in underdeveloped countries (young children). A depression in cell-mediated immunity, as evidenced by a decrease in T-lymphocyte helper/suppressor ratio and decreased responsiveness to the mitogen ConA, has been shown to occur in both CMV infection and ANG. There is a higher incidence of both CMV infection and ANG in young male homosexuals. These and other correlations, taken together, argue for a fundamental role for virus in ANG etiology.