IADR Abstract Archives
Meta-Analysis of Oral Microbiome Associated With Oral Cancer
Objectives: The intersection between the human oral microbiome and oral health is an emerging area of study which has gained momentum over the last decade. The present study examines the relationship between the human oral microbiota and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) status. Through a systematic review and quantitative meta-analysis, we aim to make generalizations about current findings in the field. We also aim to examine the current methods of data collection, data processing, and data reporting in order to offer suggestions toward the establishment of standardized practices within this field.
Methods: We searched the literature for case-control studies focused on the relationship between the human oral microbiome and OSCC. We implemented non-parametric tests of association and Linear Discriminant Analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) at the genus level in order to identify microbial genera which may be associated with human oral cancer status.
Results: We identified four papers that met our literature search criteria and also provided publically available data. With these data, we aggregated and normalized measurements of relative abundance from 368 samples (174 cases, 194 controls) representing 254 patients. In our comparison of case and control samples, we found that the genera Fusobacterium and Peptostreptococcus appeared enriched in case (OSCC) samples (FDR adjusted p < 0.001), while Rothia, Actinomyces, and Granulicatella appeared more abundant in the control samples (FDR adjusted p < 0.005).
Conclusions: We make generalizations about the associations between specific genera (e.g. Fusobacterium and Peptostreptococcus) and oral cancer status. Although there is evidence supporting the existence of associations between OTU (Operational Taxonomic Unit) abundance and OSCC status, the robustness of our work faces several limitations related to the heterogeneity and scarcity of the available data. We advocate for the establishment of standardized data analytic practices.
Methods: We searched the literature for case-control studies focused on the relationship between the human oral microbiome and OSCC. We implemented non-parametric tests of association and Linear Discriminant Analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) at the genus level in order to identify microbial genera which may be associated with human oral cancer status.
Results: We identified four papers that met our literature search criteria and also provided publically available data. With these data, we aggregated and normalized measurements of relative abundance from 368 samples (174 cases, 194 controls) representing 254 patients. In our comparison of case and control samples, we found that the genera Fusobacterium and Peptostreptococcus appeared enriched in case (OSCC) samples (FDR adjusted p < 0.001), while Rothia, Actinomyces, and Granulicatella appeared more abundant in the control samples (FDR adjusted p < 0.005).
Conclusions: We make generalizations about the associations between specific genera (e.g. Fusobacterium and Peptostreptococcus) and oral cancer status. Although there is evidence supporting the existence of associations between OTU (Operational Taxonomic Unit) abundance and OSCC status, the robustness of our work faces several limitations related to the heterogeneity and scarcity of the available data. We advocate for the establishment of standardized data analytic practices.