The Relationship between the Oral Microbiota and Metabolic Syndrome
Yvonne Prince,
Glenda M. Davison,
Saarah F. G. Davids,
Rajiv T. Erasmus,
Andre P. Kengne,
Lisa M. Graham,
Shanel Raghubeer,
Tandi E. Matsha
Affiliations
Yvonne Prince
SAMRC/CPUT/Cardiometabolic Health Research Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville 7530, South Africa
Glenda M. Davison
SAMRC/CPUT/Cardiometabolic Health Research Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville 7530, South Africa
Saarah F. G. Davids
SAMRC/CPUT/Cardiometabolic Health Research Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville 7530, South Africa
Rajiv T. Erasmus
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
Andre P. Kengne
Non-Communicable Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
Lisa M. Graham
SAMRC/CPUT/Cardiometabolic Health Research Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville 7530, South Africa
Shanel Raghubeer
SAMRC/CPUT/Cardiometabolic Health Research Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville 7530, South Africa
Tandi E. Matsha
SAMRC/CPUT/Cardiometabolic Health Research Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville 7530, South Africa
The oral microbiota plays a crucial role in both systemic inflammation and metabolic syndrome (MetS), which is characterised by low-grade inflammation. Studies have analysed the gut microbiota using stool specimens from subjects with MetS; however, the etiological role of the oral microbiota in the development of MetS is still uncertain. We investigated the oral microbiota of 128 subgingival plaque samples from a South African cohort with and without MetS. After a comprehensive analysis of the oral microbiota, we observed a significant increase in Gram-positive aerobic and anaerobic microbiota in those with MetS. We observed an abundance of Actinomyces, Corynebacterium, and Fusobacterium genera in the MetS group, which differed significantly from previous studies, which found Granulicatella to be enriched in MetS. To further assess the impact of the metabolic parameters (FBG, Waist C, HDL, TGs, and BP) on the oral microbiota, we calculated the odds ratio (ORs) for significant oral microbiota identified between the MetS groups. We found that different species were associated with at least four MetS risk factors. This study has shown that the oral microbiota is disrupted in MetS and may promote inflammation providing a gateway to other systemic diseases, including diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
