Browsing by Author "Pekeur, Jade Chantel"

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    Investigation of the contribution of oral bacterial microbiota to health and disease in a South African cohort.
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-02) Pekeur, Jade Chantel; Hoek, Kim Gilberte Pauline ; Whitelaw, Andrew Christopher ; Erasmus, Rajiv T. ; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Pathology: Division of Medical Microbiology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a worldwide epidemic. Risk factors for MetS include diet and lifestyle, as well as genetic predisposition; however, evidence suggests that disruption of the oral microbiota is an important emerging risk factor for MetS. Additionally, periodontal disease (PD) is more prevalent in individuals with MetS and both conditions are associated with inflammation and insulin resistance. Porphyromonas gingivalis has been linked to PD which may be a marker for MetS. The aim of the study was to compare the microbial diversity of subgingival plaque of individuals with MetS and PD to that of healthy individuals, and to determine the abundance of P. gingivalis in the oral cavity of individuals with and without PD. An additional aim was to compare amplicon sequencing to quantitative PCR of P. gingivalis in individuals with PD. Methods: Subgingival plaque samples were obtained from 119 individuals from the mixed ancestral community in Bellville South, Western Cape. Individuals were classified as having MetS and/or PD using standardised criteria. Illumina sequencing of the V3-V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene was performed and sequences were clustered into operational taxonomic units based on 97% similarity, using the Human Oral Microbiome Database. Microbial community profiles of healthy and diseased groups were compared using alpha and beta diversity measures. Additionally, P. gingivalis DNA in dental plaque was quantified by a SYBR green based real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Results: There were no significant differences in microbial community composition or diversity between individuals with and without MetS and between those with PD and controls. No statistically significant health-associated and PD associated OTUs were identified. Only one OTU, classified Peptostreptococcaceae (XIII) (G-1), was significantly more abundant in the MetS group. The real-time qPCR results showed similar levels of P. gingivalis detected in healthy individuals and those with PD. Higher P. gingivalis levels were observed in the severe PD group, however, the sample set was too small to determine adequate statistical differences. Conclusions: The findings suggest that factors (such as lifestyle, environment, and host immunity) other than genus-level oral microbial community composition may be responsible for the progression of MetS or PD in the Bellville South community. The study was limited to small sample sets and therefore, subtle differences in the microbial community may not have been detected. Furthermore, a larger study could reveal the role Peptostreptococcaceae plays in metabolic syndrome. P. gingivalis was not an indicator for PD, but may be an indicator of severe PD. Further investigation is needed regarding the role that other periodontal pathogens, as well as bacterial abundance, play in the initiation and progression of PD.