Bacterial associations with periodontal disease in Yorkshire terriers

Periodontal disease, an inflammatory condition initiated by the build-up of plaque on the tooth surface, is a common problem seen within veterinary practices. There are an increasing number of studies which indicate distinctive microbial profiles associated with healthy gingiva and periodontal disease. Most have been based on analysis of samples from populations of mixed breed dogs collected at a specific point in time. A study investigating the development of periodontal disease in Yorkshire terriers provided an opportunity to investigate the concurrent changes in the oral microbiota in this specific breed.

Analysis of 42 subgingival plaque samples from 22 dogs (1 to 4 samples per dog) by 454 pyrosequencing of the V1-V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene resulted in 796,091 filtered sequence reads which were assigned to 286 operational taxonomic units (excluding those deemed noise). Statistical analysis showed that health and mild gingivitis were associated with higher relative abundance of taxa belonging to the phylum Proteobacteria (e.g., Moraxella and Pasteurellaceae). In moderate gingivitis there was increased representation of taxa belonging to the phylum Firmicutes (e.g., Peptostreptococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Erysipelotrichaceae and Frigovirgula) and Bacteroidetes (Porphyromonas canoris). Periodontitis was also associated with an increased representation of some taxa belonging to the phylum Firmicutes (e.g., Peptosteptococcaceae), Spirochaetea (e.g., Treponema) and Synergistetes (e.g., Synergistales).

This study further advances our understanding of the bacterial changes associated with early periodontal disease. These can be leveraged to improve disease diagnosis, drive awareness and support recommendations for effective preventative and management strategies.