Gender-Specific Associations Between Saliva Microbiota and Body Size

Conclusion: Saliva microbiota diversity and composition were significantly associated with body size and gender in Finnish children. Body size–specific saliva microbiota profiles open new avenues for studying the potential roles of microbiota in weight development and management. Introduction The composition and diversity of the human microbiota may be an important factor in health and disease (Cho and Blaser, 2012). Several studies have proposed that changes in the human gut microbiota may alter pathogenic mechanisms, which are associated with the development of obesity and insulin resistance (Musso et al., 2010). Studies have shown associations between the gut microbiota and body size (Turnbaugh et al., 2006), however, little is known about the saliva microbiota and body size. While most of the microbiota studies have focused on the intestinal microbiota, it is known that the oral cavity possesses the second most diverse microbial community in the body (Kilian et al., 2016). The oral cavity is the major gateway for microorganisms into the human body. Microorganisms enter the body along with food and air through the mouth and are then either mixed with saliva on the way to the intestinal tract, transported to the trachea and lungs or left behind to colonize the oral cavity (Dewhirst et al., 2010). Microorganisms in the oral cavity have a substantial possibility of transmission to contiguous epithelial surfaces nearby and throughout the body (Dewhirst et al., 2...
Source: Frontiers in Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Source Type: research