Salivary Immune and Metabolic Marker Analysis (SIMMA): A Diagnostic Test to Predict Caries Risk

Abstract

By using ELISA and colorimetric tests, we have measured 25 compounds in individuals with and without dental caries at different time points of dental biofilm formation and time of the day. We find that some compounds appear to be affected by circadian rhythms, others by dental plaque maturity, and others show constant values during a 24 h period. Using univariate analysis and cross-validation techniques, we have selected six components measured at specific time points that maximize the diagnostic separation of health and disease conditions. Two out of the six selected compounds are related to immune competence, another two to the adhesion capacity of micro-organisms, and another two to acid production or pH buffering. We conclude that, in order to design a robust caries risk test, the time of saliva sampling must be standardized and biomarkers from different categories must be included. The preliminary data shown in this paper provide a proof of principle of a caries risk test based on risk-associated categories. Thus, the test will provide not only a general caries risk assessment, but also the likely biological origin of that risk, namely: immune imbalance, and/or a tendency to adhesion of cariogenic organisms, and/or a lack of acid buffering. When tested longitudinally and validated in larger cohorts, this could open the possibility to develop preventive and personalized treatments.

Development of an in vitro system to study oral biofilms in real time through impedance technology: validation and potential applications

“…These results support the view that, to be truly effective, antibiotic selection should be led towards a personalized therapy where antibiotic susceptibility tests are performed on an individual bases with complex samples. Recently, it has been proposed that diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic strategies in dentistry should be personalized [44,45]. We hope the current manuscript will initiate further studies that could on one hand search for new biofilm-disrupting or inhibitory compounds, and on the other hand implement real-time monitoring systems to individualize antibiotic treatment in dentistry.…”

Oral microbiome development during childhood: an ecological succession influenced by postnatal factors and associated with tooth decay

“…In addition, LefSe analyses were performed in order to examine potential biomarkers for early caries diagnosis. No specific group of species/genera at early age could be associated with caries development at 9 years of age (data not shown), suggesting that other ecological determinants including host interactions with microbiota, play a crucial role and should be integrated in caries risk assessment models [97,98]. Interestingly, even though the supplementation with L. reuteri during the first year of life has been associated with reduced caries prevalence at 9 years of age [39], no differences in caries development related to this Lactobacilli could be detected in the present study.…”

“…2c), the absence of robust individual biomarkers of caries risk at an earlier age underlines that microbial-based early diagnostic tests should not be based on single species, and new potential bacterial risk indicators should be identified [99], including S. cristatus as proposed above. Given the enormous inter-and intra-individual variability in bacterial composition at caries lesions [100], and the multi-factorial nature of oral diseases where microbial, environmental and host-associated variables are involved, a holistic, ecological approach to caries risk assessment where information about the host, the habits (including the diet and oral hygiene) and the microbes are integrated will likely provide a better estimate of caries prediction [97,98,101].…”

Oral Microbiome Studies: Potential Diagnostic and Therapeutic Implications

“…1 Center for Advanced Research in Public Health, FISABIO Foundation, Valencia, Spain high-throughput sequencing in recent years has been the analysis of polymerase chain reaction-amplified fragments of the 16S rRNA gene (Nyvad et al 2013). Although this technique provides taxonomic information about only the bacterial composition and not its function, 16S sequencing studies have provided valuable information about bacterial composition in different oral niches, in dental plaque from caries-free and caries-experienced individuals, in caries lesions at different stages of disease, in saliva samples across continents, and in longitudinal oral samples taken before the appearance of disease (see Mira et al 2017 andNascimento et al 2017…”