Distinct composition of the oral indigenous microbiota in South Korean and Japanese adults

Abstract

A comparison of national surveys on oral health suggested that the population of South Korea has a better periodontal health status than that of Japan, despite their similar inherent backgrounds. Here, we investigated differences in oral bacterial assemblages between individuals from those two countries. To exclude potential effects of oral health condition on the microbiota, we selected 52 Korean and 88 Japanese orally healthy adults (aged 40–79 years) from the participants of two cohort studies, the Yangpyeong study in South Korea and the Hisayama study in Japan, and compared the salivary microbiomes. The microbiota of the Japanese individuals comprised a more diverse community, with greater proportions of 17 bacterial genera, including Veillonella, Prevotella, and Fusobacterium, compared to the microbiota of the Korean individuals. Conversely, Neisseria and Haemophilus species were present in much lower proportions in the microbiota of the Japanese individuals than the Korean individuals. Because higher proportions of Prevotella and Veillonella and lower proportions of Neisseria and Haemophilus in the salivary microbiome were implicated in periodontitis, the results of this study suggest that the greater proportion of dysbiotic oral microbiota in the Japanese individuals is associated with their higher susceptibility to periodontitis compared to the Korean individuals.

The oral microbiome and human health

“…In fact, many reviewers of our report raised criticism about why we evaluated the microbiome of saliva but not that of subgingival plaque. Subsequently, we confirmed the association between the saliva microbiome and periodontal health in a comparison of Japanese and Korean populations (19). National surveys of dental health in Japan and Korea revealed that periodontal health was better in Korea, even though socioenvironmental factors related to periodontal health (e.g., oral hygiene behavior, smoking habit, number of dentists per capita, and coverage of dental therapy by public health insurance) were more favorable in Japan.…”

Microbiomes in respiratory health and disease: An Asia‐Pacific perspective

“…Oral microbiome studies in the Asia‐Pacific region have uncovered additional ethnogeographic differences among Japanese and Koreans that were correlated with susceptibility to periodontitis . Furthermore, metagenomic analysis of Chinese subjects provided a clear demonstration of the influence of plaque microbiota on gingival inflammation .…”

“…59,61 Oral microbiome studies in the Asia-Pacific region have uncovered additional ethnogeographic differences among Japanese and Koreans that were correlated with susceptibility to periodontitis. 62 Furthermore, metagenomic analysis of Chinese subjects provided a clear demonstration of the influence of plaque microbiota on gingival inflammation. 46 Intriguingly, oral, salivary and gut microbiomes of Chinese patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis-an autoimmune condition with respiratory manifestations-were significantly altered compared to controls.…”

Characterization of oral microbiota in marmosets: feasibility of using the marmoset as a human oral disease model

“…There were a number of distinctive differences observed in the salivary microbiome between humans and marmosets. Previous studies reported clear differences among populations living under different geographical conditions [15, 16]. The differences were reportedly attributed mainly to differences in lifestyles, dietary habits, as well as sanitary and socioeconomic factors [17, 18].…”