Clinical study showing a lower abundance of Neisseria in the oral microbiome aligns with low birth weight pregnancy outcomes

Abstract

Objectives The objective of this study was to examine the association between the oral microbiome and pregnancy outcomes, specifically healthy or preterm low birth weight (PLBW) in individuals with and without periodontal disease (PD). Material and methods In this prospective clinical trial, we recruited 186 pregnant women, 17 of whom exhibited PD and delivered PLBW infants (PD-PLBW group). Of the remaining women, 155 presented PD and delivered healthy infants; 18 of these subjects with similar periodontal condition and age matched to the PD-PLBW group, and they became the PD-HD group. From the total group, 11 women exhibited healthy gingiva and had a healthy delivery (HD) and healthy infants (H-HD group), and 3 exhibited healthy gingiva and delivered PLBW infants (H-PLBW group). Periodontal parameters were recorded, and subgingival plaque and serum were collected during 26–28 gestational weeks. For the plaque samples, microbial abundance and diversity were accessed by 16S rRNA sequencing. Results Women with PD showed an enrichment in the genus Porphyromonas, Treponema, and Filifactor, whereas women with healthy gingiva showed an enrichment in Streptococcus, Actinomyces, and Corynebacterium, independently of the birth status. Although no significant difference was found in the beta diversity between the 4 groups, women that had PLBW infants presented a significantly lower abundance of the genus Neisseria, independently of PD status. Conclusion Lower levels of Neisseria align with preterm low birth weight in pregnant women, whereas a higher abundance of Treponema, Porphyromonas, Fretibacterium, and Filifactor and a lower abundance of Streptococcus may contribute to periodontal disease during pregnancy. Clinical relevance The oral commensal Neisseria have potential in the prediction of PLBW.

The dynamic communities of oral microbiome in neonates

“…The oral microbiome, ranking the second in the microbiomes of the human body, plays a key role in both oral and systemic diseases, such as caries, periodontitis, preterm low birth weight, Alzheimer’s disease, and depression ( Agnello et al, 2017 ; Zhang et al, 2018 ; Deo and Deshmukh, 2019 ; Guo et al, 2021 ; Wingfield et al, 2021 ; Ye et al, 2022 ). As well known, the oral microbiome is in a dynamic balanced state and many factors including the host gene, delivery mode, breastfeeding habits, antibiotics, environment, and physiological changes could influence its composition ( Xu et al, 2015 ; Tamburini et al, 2016 ; Kaan et al, 2021 ).…”

Microbiota in the oral cavity of school-age children living with HIV who started antiretroviral therapy at young ages in South Africa

“…Neisseria, which we found to be less common in CWH, has been associated with suppressed salivary levels of IL-6 [42]. Lower abundances of Neisseria in oral samples have been associated with more severe outcomes in influenza and COVID-19 [43,44].…”

Impact of N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide and related inflammatory biomarkers on periodontal treatment outcomes in patients with periodontitis: An explorative human randomized‐controlled clinical trial

“…Periodontitis is a chronic, multifactorial inflammatory disease caused by infectious biofilm which could determine, if not properly treated, the destruction of the tooth‐supporting tissues and, finally, tooth loss 1 . During the past few decades, several large‐cohort studies have acknowledged that the various forms of periodontitis may affect over 50% of the population worldwide and also negatively influence several systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), 2,3 preterm birth, 4 metabolic syndrome, 5 and determines an overall low quality of life 6 . Some evidence has shown that the progression of periodontitis can be associated with the dysregulation of some pro‐inflammatory mediators released in the bloodstream, such as metalloproteases, interleukins, prostaglandins, and high‐sensitive c‐reactive proteins (hs‐CRP), 7 which could determine an increased chronic risk of systemic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and CVD through a specific oxidative stress pathway 8 …”