Molecular community profiling of the bacterial microbiota associated with denture-related stomatitis

Xiaoqing Wei,David J. Bradshaw,Raquel Posso,David W. Williams,Melanie J. Wilson,Ann Smith,Lucy Marsh,Daniel J. Morse,Michael A. O. Lewis,Lewis White

doi:10.1038/s41598-019-46494-0

Abstract

Denture-associated stomatitis (DS) affects over two-thirds of denture-wearers. DS presents as erythema of the palatal mucosa in areas where denture-surface associated polymicrobial biofilms containing the fungus Candida albicans exist. The contribution of the oral bacterial microbiota toward the infection is unknown. Therefore, this study characterised the bacterial microbiota of sites within the oral cavity to identify potential associations with occurrence of DS. Denture-wearing patients were recruited (denture stomatitis (DS) n = 8; non-denture stomatitis (NoDS) n = 11) and the oral bacterial microbiota of the tongue, palate and denture-fitting surface was characterised using next-generation sequencing. Operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified to bacterial genera and species, and presence/absence and relative abundances were examined. A significant (P = 0.007) decrease in the number of OTUs and thus, diversity of the microbiota was observed in tongue samples of DS patients (vs non-DS). The microbiota of denture-fitting surfaces and palatal mucosae were similar. Large differences in the abundance of bacterial genera and species were observed at each sample site, and unique presence/absence of bacteria was noted. Presence/absence and relative abundance of specific bacteria associated with DS warrants further in vitro and in vivo evaluation, particularly as our previous work has shown C. albicans virulence factor modulation by oral bacteria.

Highlights

The microbiota of higher organisms, and humans, are of great interest given their affiliation with homeostasis of the host and normal function of many different body sites
We have found that the inclusion of other oral bacteria, albeit another keystone pathogen (Porphyromonas gingivalis), in mixed-species biofilms can further modulate the virulence of C. albicans, leading to reduced C. albicans virulence[24]
A total of 19 patients were recruited to the study (denture stomatitis (DS) n = 8; non-denture stomatitis (NoDS) n = 11)

Summary

Introduction

The microbiota of higher organisms, and humans, are of great interest given their affiliation with homeostasis of the host and normal function of many different body sites. Microbial communities are crucial to the normal function of many different environments in the human body, such as the gastrointestinal tract[1,2] where microbial communities contribute to food breakdown, providing nutrients to surrounding host cells, developing a mutually beneficial relationship between the host and the resident microbiota. Several studies have characterised the healthy bacterial microbiota at different sites in the oral cavity, including tooth surfaces, oral mucosae and saliva[9,12,14], and The Human Oral Microbiome Database (HOMD), established in 2010, indicates that over 700 bacterial species exist in the mouth[15]

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