Exploration of the interplay between spatially distinct microbial habitats through comparative analysis

ABSTRACT

Objectives

The oral microbiome is closely associated with systemic diseases, indicating the presence of bacteremia and inflammatory mediators in the systemic circulation. Our research aims to investigate the relationship between the oral microbiome and other microbial habitats.

Methods

We analyzed 180 specimens from 36 patients, including saliva, buccal swab, plaque, stool, and blood samples from a healthy group (Non_PD, n = 18) and a periodontitis group (PD, n = 18). The final analysis included 147 specimens, with varying sample sizes for each group. Metagenomic analysis was performed using prokaryotic 16S rRNA on the MiSeq platform (Illumina).

Results

PD saliva showed significant richness differences (P's < 0.05), similar to plaque. Buccal swabs had slight variations. Microbial network analysis revealed altered microbial interactions in the PD group, with decreased interactions in saliva and buccal swabs, and increased interactions in plaque. In our analysis of nine specimens where all paired habitat samples could be analyzed, microorganisms linked to oral periodontitis were found in sterile blood samples, resembling the oral cavity's composition.

Conclusions

Microbiome differences should consider overall microbial-environment interactions, alongside diversity and richness. Our data cautiously suggest that disease-related changes in the salivary microbiome may be reflected in blood specimens through the oral-blood axis.

KEYWORDS:

• Microbiome
• habitat
• saliva
• blood
• plaque
• genomics
• periodontitis

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank all subjects who provided specimens for this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Author contributions

H.Kim contributed to the minor data analysis, and interpretation, drafted the manuscript, and critically revised the manuscript; J.Hong contributed to the data acquisition and critically revised manuscript; P.Yun contributed to the data acquisition and revised the manuscript.; K Hwang contributed to the data acquisition and revised the manuscript.; K Kim contributed to data acquisition and revised the manuscript.; H.Lee contributed to the conception, design of the study, data acquisition, and critically revised the manuscript; K.U.Park contributed to the conception, and design of the study, data acquisition, and interpretation, and critically revised the manuscript. All authors gave final approval and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Data availability statement

The raw microbiome sequencing data have been deposited in the NCBI Sequence Read Archive database with accession No. PRJNA937013 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/937013.

Ethical approval

The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, with number B-1810-499-301.

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/20002297.2023.2229693.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by research fund No. 2021R1A2C1006466 and No.2023R1A2C002783 from the National Research Foundation of Korea and grant No. 06–2021–0228 from the SNUBH Research Fund.