Periodontal treatment causes a longitudinal increase in nitrite-producing bacteria

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Simpson, Annabel and Johnston, William and Carda-Diéguez, Miguel and Mira, Alex and Easton, Chris and Henriquez, Fiona L. and Culshaw, Shauna and Rosier, Bob T. and Burleigh, Mia (2024) Periodontal treatment causes a longitudinal increase in nitrite-producing bacteria. Molecular Oral Microbiology, 39 (6). pp. 491-506. ISSN 2041-1014 (https://doi.org/10.1111/omi.12479)

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Abstract

Background: The oral microbiome-dependent nitrate (NO3−)–nitrite (NO2−)–nitric oxide (NO) pathway may help regulate blood pressure. NO2−-producing bacteria in subgingival plaque are reduced in relative abundance in patients with untreated periodontitis compared with periodontally healthy patients. In periodontitis patients, the NO2−-producing bacteria increase several months after periodontal treatment. The early effects of periodontal treatment on NO2−-producing bacteria and the NO3−–NO2−–NO pathway remain unknown. The aim of this study was to determine how periodontal treatment affects the oral NO2−-producing microbiome and salivary NO3− and NO2− levels over time. Methods: The subgingival microbiota of 38 periodontitis patients was analysed before (baseline [BL]) and 1, 7 and 90 days after periodontal treatment. Changes in NO2−-producing bacteria and periodontitis-associated bacteria were determined by 16s rRNA Illumina sequencing. Saliva samples were collected at all-time points to determine NO3− and NO2− levels using gas-phase chemiluminescence. Results: A significant increase was observed in the relative abundance of NO2−-producing species between BL and all subsequent timepoints (all p < 0.001). Periodontitis-associated species decreased at all timepoints, relative to BL (all p < 0.02). NO2−-producing species negatively correlated with periodontitis-associated species at all timepoints, with this relationship strongest 90 days post-treatment (ρ = −0.792, p < 0.001). Despite these findings, no significant changes were found in salivary NO3− and NO2− over time (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: Periodontal treatment induced an immediate increase in the relative abundance of health-associated NO2−-producing bacteria. This increase persisted throughout periodontal healing. Future studies should test the effect of periodontal treatment combined with NO3− intake on periodontal and cardiovascular health.

ORCID iDs

Simpson, Annabel, Johnston, William, Carda-Diéguez, Miguel, Mira, Alex, Easton, Chris, Henriquez, Fiona L. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5534-1019, Culshaw, Shauna, Rosier, Bob T. and Burleigh, Mia;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)