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Periodontology 2000 Feb 2024Three years into the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there are still growing concerns with the emergence of different variants, unknown long- and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Three years into the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there are still growing concerns with the emergence of different variants, unknown long- and short-term effects of the virus, and potential biological mechanisms underlying etiopathogenesis and increased risk for morbidity and mortality. The role of the microbiome in human physiology and the initiation and progression of several oral and systemic diseases have been actively studied in the past decade. With the proof of viral transmission, carriage, and a potential role in etiopathogenesis, saliva and the oral environment have been a focus of COVID-19 research beyond diagnostic purposes. The oral environment hosts diverse microbial communities and contributes to human oral and systemic health. Several investigations have identified disruptions in the oral microbiome in COVID-19 patients. However, all these studies are cross-sectional in nature and present heterogeneity in study design, techniques, and analysis. Therefore, in this undertaking, we (a) systematically reviewed the current literature associating COVID-19 with changes in the microbiome; (b) performed a re-analysis of publicly available data as a means to standardize the analysis, and (c) reported alterations in the microbial characteristics in COVID-19 patients compared to negative controls. Overall, we identified that COVID-19 is associated with oral microbial dysbiosis with significant reduction in diversity. However, alterations in specific bacterial members differed across the study. Re-analysis from our pipeline shed light on Neisseria as the potential key microbial member associated with COVID-19.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Dysbiosis; Microbiota; Mouth; Oropharynx; Saliva; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 37277934
DOI: 10.1111/prd.12489 -
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinics... Aug 2023Acute infections of the oral cavity and suprahyoid neck range from simple superficial conditions that can be treated as an outpatient to complex multispatial processes... (Review)
Review
Acute infections of the oral cavity and suprahyoid neck range from simple superficial conditions that can be treated as an outpatient to complex multispatial processes that require surgical intervention and inpatient admission. This article provides an imaging overview of the range of infections in this region that may be encountered by oral and maxillofacial surgeons, emergency physicians, and primary care providers.
Topics: Humans; Neck; Mouth
PubMed: 37032180
DOI: 10.1016/j.coms.2023.01.001 -
The American Journal of Pathology Sep 2023Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a potentially malignant disorder of the oral mucosa; however, whether and how the fibrotic matrix of OSF is involved in the malignant...
Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a potentially malignant disorder of the oral mucosa; however, whether and how the fibrotic matrix of OSF is involved in the malignant transformation of epithelial cells remains unknown. Herein, oral mucosa tissue from patients with OSF, OSF rat models, and their controls were used to observe the extracellular matrix changes and epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) in fibrotic lesions. Compared with controls, oral mucous tissues from patients with OSF showed an increased number of myofibroblasts, a decreased number of blood vessels, and increased type I and type III collagen levels. In addition, the oral mucous tissues from humans and OSF rats showed increased stiffness, accompanied by increased EMT activities of epithelial cells. The EMT activities of stiff construct-cultured epithelial cells were increased significantly by exogenous piezo-type mechanosensitive ion channel component 1 (Piezo1) activation, and decreased by yes-associated protein (YAP) inhibition. During ex vivo implantation, oral mucosal epithelial cells of the stiff group showed increased EMT activities and increased levels of Piezo1 and YAP compared with those in the sham and soft groups. These results indicate that increased stiffness of the fibrotic matrix in OSF led to increased proliferation and EMT of mucosal epithelial cells, in which the Piezo1-YAP signal transduction is important.
Topics: Humans; Rats; Animals; Oral Submucous Fibrosis; Mouth Mucosa; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; Myofibroblasts; Epithelial Cells
PubMed: 37328100
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2023.05.014 -
PeerJ 2024Bacteriophages are bacterial viruses that are distributed throughout the environment. Lytic phages and prophages in saliva, oral mucosa, and dental plaque interact with... (Review)
Review
Bacteriophages are bacterial viruses that are distributed throughout the environment. Lytic phages and prophages in saliva, oral mucosa, and dental plaque interact with the oral microbiota and can change biofilm formation. The interactions between phages and bacteria can be considered a portion of oral metagenomics. The metagenomic profile of the oral microbiome indicates various bacteria. Indeed, there are various phages against these bacteria in the oral cavity. However, some other phages, like phages against Absconditabacteria, Chlamydiae, or Chloroflexi, have not been identified in the oral cavity. This review gives an overview of oral bacteriophage and used for metagenomics. Metagenomics of these phages deals with multi-drug-resistant bacterial plaques (biofilms) in oral cavities and oral infection. Hence, dentists and pharmacologists should know this metagenomic profile to cope with predental and dental infectious diseases.
Topics: Bacteriophages; Microbiota; Metagenome; Prophages; Mouth; Bacteria
PubMed: 38406289
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16947 -
Cells Aug 2023Adult human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs), the most abundant cells in the oral cavity, are essential for maintaining oral homeostasis. Compared with other tissues, adult... (Review)
Review
Adult human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs), the most abundant cells in the oral cavity, are essential for maintaining oral homeostasis. Compared with other tissues, adult oral mucosal wounds heal regeneratively, without scarring. Relative to fibroblasts from other locations, HGFs are relatively refractory to myofibroblast differentiation, immunomodulatory, highly regenerative, readily obtained via minimally invasive procedures, easily and rapidly expanded in vitro, and highly responsive to growth factors and cytokines. Consequently, HGFs might be a superior, yet perhaps underappreciated, source of adult mesenchymal progenitor cells to use in tissue engineering and regeneration applications, including the treatment of fibrotic auto-immune connective tissue diseases such as scleroderma. Herein, we highlight in vitro and translational studies that have investigated the regenerative and differentiation potential of HGFs, with the objective of outlining current limitations and inspiring future research that could facilitate translating the regenerative potential of HGFs into the clinic.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Regenerative Medicine; Gingiva; Fibroblasts; Mouth; Mouth Mucosa
PubMed: 37626831
DOI: 10.3390/cells12162021 -
Supportive Care in Cancer : Official... Oct 2023Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) are at high risk of malnutrition due to eating difficulties partly mediated by sensory alterations and salivary dysfunction....
PURPOSE
Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) are at high risk of malnutrition due to eating difficulties partly mediated by sensory alterations and salivary dysfunction. Clinical studies have mostly focused on taste and smell alterations, while changes in oral somatosensory perception are largely understudied. The study aimed to investigate oral somatosensory (tactile, texture, chemesthetic, and thermal) responses and salivary functions of HNC patients in comparison to healthy controls.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted using psychophysical tests in HNC patients (n = 30) and in age- and gender-matched control subjects (n = 30). The tests included measurements of point-pressure tactile sensitivity, whole-mouth chemesthetic stimulation, food texture discrimination, and temperature discrimination. Salivary functions, including hydration, saliva consistency, pH, volume, and buffering capacity, were also evaluated.
RESULTS
HNC patients demonstrated significantly lower chemesthetic sensitivity (for medium and high concentrations, p < 0.05), thermal sensitivity (p = 0.038), and salivary functions (p = 0.001). There were indications of lower tactile sensitivity in the patient group (p = 0.101). Patients were also less sensitive to differences in food roughness (p = 0.003) and firmness (p = 0.025).
CONCLUSION
This study provided evidence that sensory alterations in HNC patients extend beyond their taste and smell. The measurements demonstrated lower somatosensory responses, in part associated with their reduced salivary function. Oral somatosensory alterations and salivary dysfunction may consequently impart the eating experience of HNC patients. Thus, further investigations on food adjustments for this patient group seem warranted.
Topics: Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Mouth; Saliva; Taste Perception
PubMed: 37828382
DOI: 10.1007/s00520-023-08086-7 -
Dental and Medical Problems 2023Diet and eating habits significantly affect health and quality of life. Various diets and food eliminations can lead to nutritional deficiencies and malnutrition. This... (Review)
Review
Diet and eating habits significantly affect health and quality of life. Various diets and food eliminations can lead to nutritional deficiencies and malnutrition. This article discusses the relationship between nutrition, nutritional deficiencies, and the condition of the periodontium and oral mucosa. An analysis of PubMed materials was conducted to assess the impact of nutrition on the condition of the oral mucosa and periodontium. We also considered dietary habits such as vegetarianism, the ketogenic diet, the Paleo diet, the Mediterranean diet, the Western diet, and intermittent fasting. Vitamin deficiencies, both watersoluble and fat-soluble, as well as macroand microelements, can manifest in the oral cavity, among others, as gingivitis and bleeding, recurrent aphthous stomatitis, enamel hypomineralization, cheilitis, angular cheilitis, halitosis, glossitis, lingual papillae atrophy, and stomatitis. Malnutrition does not cause periodontal disease, but it increases the risk of its occurrence and accelerates disease progression. Inadequate nutrition, combined with other predisposing factors, may contribute to an increased risk of oral cancer and the development of leukoplakia.
Topics: Humans; Mouth Mucosa; Cheilitis; Quality of Life; Periodontium; Malnutrition
PubMed: 38133993
DOI: 10.17219/dmp/156466 -
Journal of Dental Research Nov 2023The human mouth, or oral cavity, is at the crossroads of our external and internal environments, and it is increasingly evident that local colonization of dental, oral,... (Review)
Review
The human mouth, or oral cavity, is at the crossroads of our external and internal environments, and it is increasingly evident that local colonization of dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) tissues and cells by bacteria and viruses may also have systemic effects across myriad diseases and disorders. Better understanding of this phenomenon will require a holistic understanding of host-microbial interactions in both spatiotemporal and biogeographical contexts while also considering person-, organ-, tissue-, cell-, and molecular-level variation. After the acute phase interaction with microbes, the establishment of site-specific reservoirs constitutes an important relationship to understand within the human body; however, despite a preliminary understanding of how viral reservoirs originate and persist across the human body, the landscape of single-cell and spatial multiomic tools has challenged our current understanding of what cells and niches can support microbial reservoirs. The lack of complete understanding impacts research into these relevant topics and implementing precision care for microbial-induced or microbial-influenced diseases. Here, via the lens of acute and chronic microbial infections of the DOC tissues, the goal of this review is to highlight and link the emerging spatiotemporal biogeography of host-viral interactomics at 3 levels: (1) DOC cell types in distinct tissues, (2) DOC-associated microbes, and (3) niche-specific DOC pathologies. Further, we will focus on the impact of postacute infectious syndromes such as long COVID, neurodegenerative disorders, and other underappreciated postviral conditions. We will provide hypotheses about how DOC tissues may play roles systemically in these conditions. Throughout, we will underscore how COVID-19 has catalyzed a new understanding of these biological questions, discuss future directions to study these phenomena, and highlight the utility of noninvasive oral biofluids in screening, monitoring, and intervening to prevent and/or ameliorate human infectious diseases.
Topics: Humans; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome; Microbiota; Mouth; Bacteria; Multiomics
PubMed: 37731320
DOI: 10.1177/00220345231191115 -
Thoracic Cancer Apr 2024The causal relationship between breast cancer (BC) and the oral microbiome remains unclear. In this case-control study, using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR), we...
BACKGROUND
The causal relationship between breast cancer (BC) and the oral microbiome remains unclear. In this case-control study, using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR), we thoroughly explored the relationship between the oral microbiome and BC in the East Asian population.
METHODS
Genetic summary data related to oral microbiota and BC were collected from genome-wide association studies involving participants of East Asian descent. MR estimates were generated by conducting various analyses. Sequencing data from a case-control study were used to verify the validity of these findings.
RESULTS
MR analysis revealed that 30 tongue and 37 salivary bacterial species were significantly associated with BC. Interestingly, in both tongue and salivary microbiomes, we observed the causal effect of six genera, namely, Aggregatibacter, Streptococcus, Prevotella, Haemophilus, Lachnospiraceae, Oribacterium, and Solobacterium, on BC. Our case-control study findings suggest differences in specific bacteria between patients with BC and healthy controls. Moreover, sequencing data confirmed the MR analysis results, demonstrating that compared with the healthy control group, the BC group had a higher relative abundance of Pasteurellaceae and Streptococcaceae but a lower relative abundance of Bacteroidaceae.
CONCLUSIONS
Our MR analysis suggests that the oral microbiome exerts a causative effect on BC risk, supported by the sequencing data of a case-control study. In the future, studies should be undertaken to comprehensively understand the complex interaction mechanisms between the oral microbiota and BC.
Topics: Female; Humans; Breast Neoplasms; Case-Control Studies; East Asian People; Genome-Wide Association Study; Mendelian Randomization Analysis; Microbiota; Mouth
PubMed: 38485288
DOI: 10.1111/1759-7714.15280 -
Health (London, England : 1997) Jul 2023An ageing population, an estimated 47 million people currently living with dementia, and predictions of a threefold increase in people living with a diagnosis by 2050...
An ageing population, an estimated 47 million people currently living with dementia, and predictions of a threefold increase in people living with a diagnosis by 2050 have led the WHO to declare dementia a public health priority. Emerging research also suggests that dementia is linked to poor oral health and that oral health declines alongside cognitive decline. Drawing on Bourdieu's concepts of field and capital, this paper presents an analysis of interview data from participants with dementia, carers and carer/diagnosed dyads participating in a qualitative study of the mouth and oral health. We argue that Bourdieu's conceptual toolkit provides a way of contextualising experiences of oral health within dementia and un-picking the multi-layered impact of structure, institutions, biology, resource mobilisation and self in the context of a progressive disease which ultimately challenges knowledge of the self and the ability to interact with the world around us.
Topics: Humans; Oral Health; Caregivers; Qualitative Research; Dementia; Mouth
PubMed: 34727785
DOI: 10.1177/13634593211049891