Metagenomic Analysis to Uncover the Subgingival and Atherosclerotic Plaque Microbiota in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Amita Rao; Jep Lokesh; Caroline D'Souza; Kattapuni Suresh Prithvisagar; Kodangala Subramanyam; Indrani Karunasagar; Ballamoole Krishna Kumar

doi:10.1007/s12088-023-01082-9

Metagenomic Analysis to Uncover the Subgingival and Atherosclerotic Plaque Microbiota in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Indian J Microbiol. 2023 Sep;63(3):281-290. doi: 10.1007/s12088-023-01082-9. Epub 2023 Jul 14.

Authors

Amita Rao¹, Jep Lokesh², Caroline D'Souza³, Kattapuni Suresh Prithvisagar³, Kodangala Subramanyam⁴, Indrani Karunasagar³, Ballamoole Krishna Kumar³

Affiliations

¹ Nitte (Deemed to be University), Department of Periodontics, AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences (ABSMIDS), Deralakatte, Mangalore, 575018 India.
² Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, E2S UPPA. INRAE, NUMEA, Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, France.
³ Nitte(Deemed to be University), Division of Infectious Diseases, Nitte University Centre for Science Education and Research (NUCSER), Deralakatte, Mangalore, 575018 India.
⁴ Department of Cardiology, Srinivas Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Mangalore, India.

PMID: 37781016
PMCID: PMC10533773 (available on 2024-09-01)
DOI: 10.1007/s12088-023-01082-9

Abstract

The role of periodontal pathogens in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis has been extensively researched, yet a precise causal mechanism has not been established. The subgingival microbiota may be a source of dissemination and may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis; hence this study attempted to characterize and compare the subgingival and atherosclerotic plaques. Plaque samples were subjected to 16S rRNA-based metagenomics to study microbiota associated with subgingival and atherosclerotic plaques collected from patients with coronary artery disease. The PCoA analysis showed that the microbiomes of subgingival plaques were highly scattered and showed a diverse microbial composition, unlike the atherosclerotic plaques that did not show evident variability in the microbial composition and formed a close distinct group. The abundance of various genera in the subgingival plaques revealed Fusobacterium (11%), Acinetobacter (13%), Veillonella (9%), and Prevotella (11%) among the top ten genera. The atherosclerotic plaques contained Acinetobacter (39%), Chryseobacterium (9%), Rhizobium (5%), and Staphylococcus (4%). All the patients examined in this study had either generalized or localized periodontitis with varying degrees of severity. The community microbiota analysis revealed that 22 bacterial genera were shared between two different plaques, with Acinetobacter being dominant. Based on the Human Oral Microbiome Database, 55% of the shared microbiota in this study have been listed as periodontal microbiota, with some of them found in increased proportions in patients with periodontitis suggesting the translocation of bacteria from the periodontal pockets into the circulation. This study provides valuable insights into the possible relationship between periodontal pathogens and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Keywords: 16S rRNA metagenomics; Atherosclerosis; Coronary artery disease; Periodontitis.

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