The oral microbiome and salivary proteins influence caries in children aged 6 to 8 years

Oral microbiome and salivary proteins play a critical role in the occurrence and development of caries. In this study, we used metagenomic and metaproteomic analyses to explore the microbiological and proteinic biomarkers and investigate the etiology of caries in 6-8 years old children. Our study aims to offer a better comprehension of these factors and the relationship with caries, and these findings might facilitate caries risk assessment and provide a basis for future prevention strategies.

Children 6 to 8 years old living in rural isolated areas including 40 caries-active subjects and 40 caries-free subjects were recruited. Supragingival plaque and unstimulated saliva were collected for 16S rDNA pyrosequencing and isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) technique coupled with quantitative nano-flow liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), respectively.

We found 6 phyla and 13 genera predominant in all the samples, and differences in relative abundances can be observed. The Alpha diversity analysis demonstrated that the richness and diversity of the bacterial communities were similar between children with caries-free and caries-active groups; LEfSe detected differences in the bacterial community including Dialister, Selenomonas, Actinomyces, and Mogibacterium in the caries-active group (P < 0.05) and Capnocytophaga, Fusobacterium, Desulfuromonadales, Haemophilus, and Porphyromonas in the caries-free group(P < 0.05). The core microbiome was defined as 18 predominant genera in children with caries. The results of the salivary proteome identified 9135 unique peptides and 1662 proteins group from 20 salivary samples. Two hundred fifty-eight proteins were differentially expressed between the caries-free and caries-active groups.

The diversity of the microbial community has little effect on caries but some bacteria with different relative abundance between the caries-active and caries-free group could be considered as potential biomarkers for children with caries. In addition, as a critical host factor of caries, the salivary proteins are different in caries-free and caries-active groups.