Variations in microbiota populations in chronic periodontits patients compared to healthy controls

Background Periodontitis is a common gum disease that affects the soft tissue surrounding teeth and may lead to the deterioration of the bone that supports the teeth. The composition of saliva microbiota plays a significant role in the development and progression of periodontitis. Nonetheless, there is a lack of information relating to saliva microbiota composition in adults and its correlation with periodontitis. Methods Saliva samples were collected from healthy adults and patients with chronic periodontitis. Saliva microbiota was comprehensively characterized by sequencing the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene and analyzed using established bioinformatics pipeline and statistical analysis. Finally, the metagenome of the saliva microbiota was predicted using the PICRUSt algorithm and compared between the groups. Results A significant increase in biodiversity of the saliva microbiota associated with periodontitis patients was detected. In our study, the composition of saliva microbiota revealed a significant abundance of Streptococcus , Moryella , Granulicatella , Osenella , Prevotella nanceiensis , and Neisseria oralis in the healthy group. In contrast, periodontitis patients’ saliva was enriched with Leptotrichia , Filifactor , Selenomonas , Acholeplasma , Prevotella intermedia , Porphyromonas endodontalis , and Rothia dentocariosa . The predicted metagenome showed higher abundance of carbohydrate metabolism and transcription factors in healthy individuals, while cofactors, vitamins metabolism, and glycan biosynthesis were enriched in the periodontitis group. Conclusion Our study revealed a distinctive dysbiosis in the saliva microbiota of adults with periodontitis. These findings present a significant step in understanding the microbial aspects of this disease and have the potential to understand further the intrinsic co-factors in the onset of chronic periodontitis.