The oral microbiota change in oral cancer - a preliminary study

The relationship between oral bacteria and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is not yet fully understood. This study aimed to profile the microbiota composition at tumour sites versus adjacent normal tissues in the oral mucosa of 10 OSCC patients using a qPCR Array.

We recruited 10 OSCC patients (8 men and 2 women, aged 40 to 89 years) from the Department of Oral Surgery at the Medical University of Lublin. The diagnosis of OSCC was confirmed through clinical presentation and histopathology. Bilateral swabs were taken for further examination. The study identified 93 microorganisms using the Oral Disease Microbial DNA qPCR Array.

From the 20 samples analyzed, we retrieved 868 species/genes across 37 genera, representing 90 different microbial species. The relative abundance of Fusobacterium nucleatum was significantly higher in OSCC samples (P < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis identified F. nucleatum as a potential OSCC biomarker (p = 0.007). Correlation analysis revealed distinct ecological relationships within the bacterial communities of OSCC samples, consistent with the observed bacterial diversity.

Notably, associations centred around Fusobacterium spp. were prominent in cancer samples, further suggesting a potential role for this genus in OSCC development. The differences in oral bacterial profiles between tumour and non-tumour tissues may serve as diagnostic markers.