Oral examination, sampling, and evaluation
HSV-2, HSV-1, Toxicity, pain
STERILE, ORAL MUCOSITIS
Oral examination and sampling were performed by a dentist (H-K Park) and research nurses who were trained and supervised by the dentist at the following three timepoints: (1) baseline – within + 2 days from the first day of conditioning, (2) during HSCT – at day + 8 (± 2) from the date of stem cell infusion (D0). If a patient complained of oral pain, oral examination and sampling were conducted within two days, and those results were substituted for the results of the day + 8 timepoint, and (3) at the end of autologous HSCT – within 7 days from the date of neutrophil engraftment.The presence and severity of CIOM are described using the WHO Toxicity Criteria – Oral mucositis scoring system scale (Table To obtain samples for HSV-1 and HSV-2 reactivation in the oral mucosa, the oral mucosa was brushed with a sterile 30 mm × 30 mm Imobilon®-P Transfer Membrane (Merck Millipore, Billerica, MA, USA) for 30 s. If there was an intraoral lesion, the area was swabbed. If there was no intraoral lesion, the buccal mucosa was swabbed. DNA was separated from the collection membrane using the PowerSoil® DNA Isolation Kit (MOBIO Laboratories, Carlsbad, CA, USA) and diluted in a 100 mL buffer solution. PCR was performed using an HSV 1/2 PCR kit (BioCore, Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, Korea) to detect HSV-1 and HSV-2.