Meta-analyses on the Periodontal Archaeome

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Oral Health
• Periodontology

Background:

• The oral microbiome includes Archaea, which inhabit various oral niches, including periodontal sites.
• Inter-domain relationships, particularly involving Archaea, are crucial in understanding oral dysbiosis.
• Previous scoping reviews highlighted the presence of Archaea in periodontal sites.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the prevalence of Archaea in periodontal diseases through meta-analyses.
• To reinforce the importance of the Archaea domain in oral health and disease.
• To alert the scientific community about the significance of inter-domain interactions in oral dysbiosis.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across multiple databases and grey literature.
• Inclusion of 30 reports on the periodontal archaeome from 1980 to 2020.
• Methodological quality and certainty of evidence assessed using validated tools.
• Two meta-analyses performed on 16S rRNA gene and mcrA gene analyses.

Main Results:

• Individuals with periodontitis showed a higher prevalence of archaeal-positive subgingival biofilms compared to healthy individuals (OR 6.68 and 9.42).
• Despite enrichment, less than half of periodontitis patients tested positive for archaeal DNA (estimated 46%).
• Conventional periodontitis treatment reduced archaeal populations, but adjunctive systemic antibiotics showed no added benefit.

Conclusions:

• Archaea may act as secondary colonizers in periodontal dysbiosis, thriving in inflammatory environments.
• Current detection protocols likely underestimate the prevalence and diversity of the oral archaeome.
• Further research with diverse methodological approaches is needed to fully explore the oral archaeome.