Stimulated and unstimulated saliva samples have significantly different bacterial profiles

PLoS One. 2018 Jun 1;13(6):e0198021. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198021. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Epidemiological studies use saliva on a regular basis as a non-invasive and easy-to-take sample, which is assumed to be a microbial representative of the oral cavity ecosystem. However, comparative studies between different kinds of saliva samples normally used in microbial studies are scarce. The aim of the current study was to compare oral microbiota composition between two different saliva samples collected simultaneously: non-stimulated saliva with paper points and stimulated saliva collected after chewing paraffin gum. DNA was extracted from saliva samples of ten individuals, then analyzed by 16S rRNA pyrosequencing to describe bacterial diversity. The results demonstrate significant differences between the microbiota of these two kinds of saliva. Stimulated saliva was found to contain an estimated number of species over three times higher than unstimulated saliva. In addition, bacterial composition at the class and genus level was radically different between both types of samples. When compared to other oral niches, both types of saliva showed some similarity to tongue and buccal mucosa, but they do not correlate at all with the bacterial composition described in supra- or sub-gingival dental plaque, questioning their use in etiological and epidemiological studies of oral diseases of microbial origin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Bacteria / isolation & purification*
  • Child
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Paraffin / pharmacology
  • Saliva / drug effects*
  • Saliva / microbiology*

Substances

  • Paraffin

Associated data

  • Dryad/10.5061/dryad.h8c3vq3

Grants and funding

Funded by projects DOCV.6175, of 30.12.2009 from the Valencian Health Department; University of Valencia Grant UV-INV-AE11-40221; and project 016/2010 from Generalitat Valenciana. Recipient Prof. José Manuel Almerich-Silla.