Oral Lactobacillus Species in Systemic Sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Immunology
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) significantly impacts quality of life in systemic sclerosis (SSc).
• A link between the gut microbiome, specifically Lactobacillus, and gastrointestinal motility in SSc is hypothesized.
• Oral microbiota alterations may reflect systemic conditions like SSc.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the presence and quantity of oral Lactobacillus species in female patients with SSc compared to healthy subjects (HS).
• To analyze the distribution of Lactobacillus between the tongue and gums in SSc patients and HS.
• To correlate oral Lactobacillus levels with the potential role in SSc pathogenesis or progression.

Main Methods:

• Culture-independent molecular techniques, including quantitative PCR (qPCR) with specific Lactobacillus primers (rpoB gene).
• Analysis of oral swabs (tongue and gum) from 29 female SSc patients and 23 female HS.
• Literature review on microbiota and Lactobacillus in SSc.

Main Results:

• Significantly lower Lactobacillus spp. rpoB sequences were detected on the tongue of SSc patients compared to HS (p = 0.0211).
• A trend towards lower Lactobacillus spp. rpoB gene quantity was observed on the gums of SSc patients versus HS.
• A significant difference in Lactobacillus distribution between tongue and gums was found in HS, but not in SSc patients (p = 0.0421).

Conclusions:

• The oral cavity of SSc patients exhibits a reduced presence of Lactobacillus species.
• These findings support the hypothesis that Lactobacillus may possess a protective or therapeutic function in SSc.
• Further research into Lactobacillus supplementation could offer novel therapeutic strategies for SSc.