Salivary Microbiome Profile and Diversity in Children With Type 1 Diabetes

Objectives: The human microbiome exerts a significant influence on various health aspects, including the development of autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes (T1D), due to immune system dysregulation, inflammatory responses, and metabolite production. While a growing body of evidence connects the gut microbiome to T1D, there is a need to investigate the relationship between T1D and the oral microbiome. Our study aimed to invistigate the oral microbiome profile and diversity in children with and without T1D.
Methods: We collected saliva samples from 48 participants, comprising 23 children with diabetes and 25 non-diabetic children, aged 10 to 21 years. Periodontal assessments were conducted using the Ramjford exam, and caries evaluations were performed using the WHO index. Additionally, we assessed sleep patterns and conducted dietary evaluations using validated questionnaires. Whole saliva samples were centrifuged, and the resulting pellets were employed for microbiome analysis. We sequenced the 16S rDNA, specifically targeting the V3-4 region, and generated Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) using the DADA2 method. Alpha and beta-diversity analyses, as well as assessments of differential abundances, were conducted using R.
Results: Our investigation revealed a statistically significant distinction in oral microbiome profiles between children with diabetes and their non-diabetic counterparts (p<0.05, assessed using ADONIS and ANOSIM tests). Furthermore, oral microbiome diversity was significantly lower in children with T1D compared to the control group, as evidenced by lower Shannon and inverse Simpson diversity indices in the T1D group.
Furthermore, we identified 20 taxa that exhibited significant differences in abundance between those present in T1D and healthy control (p<0.05, ANCOM-BC).
Conclusions: The analysis of the salivary microbiome in children revealed a significant distinction in microbial profiles and diversity between children with T1D and their healthy counterparts. Furthermore, specific taxa were identified in the salivary microbiome of children with T1D and control.