Oral microbiota in obstructive sleep apnea patients: a systematic review.

Abstract

Evidence suggests that patients withobstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are at increased risk of suffering from periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the tooth-supporting tissues associated with a dysbiotic oral microbiota. This systematic review aims to explore the current literature about the composition of the oral microbiota in patients withOSA compared to those withoutOSA. Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched in May 2022 to identify original articles investigating the oral microbiota composition and/or oral microbiome (any microbiological technique) of patients withOSA (adults or children) vs. controls. Case report, reviews, and animal studies were excluded. Of over 279 articles initially identified, 8 were selected, of which 3 dealt with pediatric patients. Overall, 344 patients withOSA and 131 controls were included. Five studies used salivary samples, 2 oral mucosal swabs, and 1 subgingival plaque sample. With different methods to characterize oral microbiota, 6/8 studies observed significant differences between patients withOSA patients and controls in the composition and relative abundance of several bacteria species/genera linked to periodontitis. Within the limitations of the available literature, the present systematic review indicates that OSA and related conditions (e.g., mouth breathing) are associated with different oral microbiota compositions, which may underlie the association between OSA and periodontitis.