A novel method for sampling subgingival microbiome: a comparative metatranscriptomic study.

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Oral Health
• Genomics

Background:

• The subgingival microbiome plays a role in oral and systemic diseases.
• Current subgingival microbiome sampling methods are challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel, less invasive method for subgingival microbiome sampling.
• To assess the utility of subgingival-P samples as a proxy for direct subgingival samples.

Main Methods:

• Developed a novel rotational swabbing technique on the supragingival area to collect subgingival-P samples.
• Performed metatranscriptomic analysis on both subgingival and subgingival-P samples from 20 individuals.
• Compared microbial relative abundances and gene expression profiles between the two sample types.

Main Results:

• Subgingival-P samples showed comparable microbial relative abundances to direct subgingival samples.
• Microbial gene expression levels were also similar between subgingival and subgingival-P samples.
• The novel method demonstrated high concordance with traditional subgingival sampling.

Conclusions:

• The subgingival-P sampling method is a viable proxy for subgingival microbiome analysis.
• This technique facilitates larger and more diverse studies on the subgingival microbiome's role in health and disease.
• Enables easier investigation into conditions like periodontitis and Alzheimer's disease.