Oral Microbiome Traits of Type 1 Diabetes and Phenylketonuria Patients in Latvia

Iveta Abola; Dita Gudra; Maija Ustinova; Davids Fridmanis; Darta Elizabete Emulina; Ingus Skadins; Anda Brinkmane; Una Lauga-Tunina; Linda Gailite; Madara Auzenbaha

doi:10.3390/microorganisms11061471

Oral Microbiome Traits of Type 1 Diabetes and Phenylketonuria Patients in Latvia

Microorganisms. 2023 May 31;11(6):1471. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms11061471.

Authors

Iveta Abola^{1

2}, Dita Gudra³, Maija Ustinova³, Davids Fridmanis³, Darta Elizabete Emulina¹, Ingus Skadins^{1

4}, Anda Brinkmane², Una Lauga-Tunina⁵, Linda Gailite¹, Madara Auzenbaha^{1

4

6

7}

Affiliations

¹ Scientific Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Rīga Stradiņš University, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia.
² Department of Conservative Dentistry and Oral Health, Rīga Stradiņš University, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia.
³ Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia.
⁴ Department of Biology and Microbiology, Rīga Stradiņš University, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia.
⁵ Department of Endocrinology, Children's Clinical University Hospital, LV-1004 Riga, Latvia.
⁶ Clinic of Medical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnostics, Children's Clinical University Hospital, LV-1004 Riga, Latvia.
⁷ European Reference Network for Hereditary Metabolic Disorders, Children's Clinical University Hospital, LV-1004 Riga, Latvia.

Abstract

Some metabolic disorder treatments require patients to follow a specific diet or to consume supplements that, over time, can lead to oral microbiome alterations. Well-known disorders requiring such treatment are phenylketonuria (PKU), an inborn error of amino acid metabolism, and type 1 diabetes (T1D), a metabolic disorder that requires a specific diet regimen. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the oral health and microbiome characteristics that might contribute to caries activity and periodontal disease risk in PKU and T1D patients. In this cross-sectional study, 45 PKU patients, 24 T1D patients, and 61 healthy individuals between the ages of 12 and 53 years were examined. Their anamnestic data and dental status were assessed by one dentist. Microbial communities were detected from saliva-isolated DNA using 16S rRNA gene V3-V4 sequencing on Illumina MiSeq sequencing platform. Results revealed that the PKU patient group displayed the highest number of extracted teeth (on average 1.34), carious teeth (on average 4.95), and carious activity (44.44% of individuals) compared to the T1D and CTRL groups. The lowest numbers of filled teeth (on average 5.33) and extracted teeth (on average 0.63) per individual were observed in T1D patients. Gingivitis appeared more often in the T1D group; however, possible risk of periodontal disease was seen in both the T1D and PKU patient groups. The highest number of differentially abundant genera was detected in the PKU group (n = 20), with enrichment of Actinomyces (p_adj = 4.17 × 10^-22), Capnocytophaga (p_adj = 8.53 × 10^-8), and Porphyromonas (p_adj = 1.18 × 10^-5) compared to the CTRL group. In conclusion, the dental and periodontal health of PKU patients was found to be significantly inferior compared to T1D patients and healthy controls. T1D patients showed early signs of periodontal disease. Several genera that correlate with periodontal disease development were found in both groups, thus suggesting that T1D and PKU patients should seek early and regular dental advice and be educated about proper oral hygiene practices.

Keywords: 16S rRNA sequencing; microbiome; phenylketonuria; type 1 diabetes.

Grants and funding

The study was funded by Riga Stradins University Internal scientific budgets.