Analysis of oral microbiota diversity in Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaws based on 16S rDNA sequencing: A preliminary research

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the diversity of oral flora in MRONJ patients and assess the differences between MRONJ patients and individuals with common oral infections. Methods: We investigated the oral microbial species and diversity of 33 subjects (10 in group R1, MRONJ patients; 6 in group R2, patients who have used antiresorptive drugs but without MRONJ; 9 in group R3, patients without history of antiresorptive drugs but have oral infection; 8 in group C, healthy controls without oral disease) , through the utilization of 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing technology. Results: MRONJ patients (group R1) exhibited a higher species diversity of oral flora. The oral microbiota composition of patients in the group R1 was significantly different from that of the group C. Dominant microbes in the R1 group included Porphyromonas gingivalis , Treponema denticola , Prevotella intermedia , Prevotella nigrescens , Campylobacter showae , Porphyromonas endodontalis and Dialister pneumosintes , which are closely associated with the pathogens of dental infections. There was a significant difference in the oral microbiota between group R1 and group R3, with some microbial communities having a significantly higher relative abundance in the R1 group. These differential communities at the genus level included Prevotella and Ligilactobacillus , and at the species level, Prevotella intermedia was notable. In this study, the oral microbiota composition of patients in the group R2 showed no significant differences compared to the group C. Conclusion: Although the sample size is small, the results of this study preliminarily demonstrate the oral microbial diversity in patients with MRONJ. The dominant oral microbiota in MRONJ patients, closely related to periodontitis and root canal infections, suggests that infections associated with dental tissue could be potential factors leading to the onset or exacerbation of MRONJ.