Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy Modulates Oral Microbiome in Primary Immunodeficient Children

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Immunology
• Periodontology

Background:

• Primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) are rare genetic disorders affecting immune function.
• PIDs can compromise dental plaque control and oral health.
• Neutropenia, a common feature of some PIDs, impacts immune responses.

Purpose of the Study:

• Characterize the subgingival dental plaque microbiome in children with PIDs.
• Compare the microbiome of PID children to healthy controls.
• Assess the impact of non-surgical periodontal therapy on the PID microbiome.

Main Methods:

• Collected subgingival plaque from molars and incisors of PID children and healthy controls.
• Utilized Illumina metabarcoding of the 16S rRNA gene (V1-V2 region) for microbiome profiling.
• Analyzed microbial community structure (alpha and beta diversity) at baseline and 6 months post-therapy.

Main Results:

• Non-surgical periodontal therapy significantly shifted the subgingival microbial community structure in PID children.
• Increased abundance of Rothia spp., Neisseria spp., and Actinomyces spp. correlated with clinical improvements.
• Baseline neutrophil counts in PID children showed associations with specific bacterial genera, indicating host-microbial relationships.

Conclusions:

• Non-surgical periodontal therapy effectively modulated the oral microbiome in neutropenic PID children.
• Identified novel host-microbial interactions relevant to the oral microbiome in health and disease.
• Findings highlight the potential of periodontal therapy in managing oral health in PID patients.