Researchers Found Differences Between Male And Female Oral Microbiome

Recent research from a collaborative group of Italian and US scientists revealed that the human oral microbiome has notable differences in male and female organisms affected by periodontitis.

It's well known that we have about 700 different species of bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc., in our mouths; still, as it turned out, some sex-based divergencies exist, and they may shed light on novel dental therapeutic approaches that would be more effective specifically for males and females individuals.

What did scientists examine?

Such sex-based differences are called microsexome, and scientists aiming to specify them gathered a group of 643 participants, including 185 healthy and 458 individuals with periodontitis (in both groups, females and males were distributed equally).

To identify their biofilms' biodiversity, researchers obtained saliva, dental plaque, and subgingival plaque samples from both groups and examined them using a stack of differential abundance analysis technologies.

What did scientists find?

First, scientists learned that differences in the microbiome in healthy organisms are minimal – sexual dimorphism occurs only in individuals with periodontitis, presented in the form of reduced oral microbiome diversity. These differences exist only in oral biofilms –– saliva samples did not demonstrate significant divergencies.

Additionally, scientists found specific microorganisms' abundance in participants with periodontitis:

In the male group, researchers observed an increased population of Firmicutes;
In female participants, scientists found higher levels of Synergistota and Spirochaetota.

Another key discovery – is the difference between the immune responses to periodontitis. Thus, researchers found increased antibodies produced against specific periodontal bacteria in subgingival biofilm, indicating a more intense immune system reaction.

Also, research highlights the importance of smoking habits. In smokers, they observed higher sex-based divergence in dental plaque bacteria.

Why it's important?

These discoveries can notably improve therapeutical and prophylaxis approaches, specifying them for unique male and female oral microbiome features to enhance clinical efficiency.

Additionally, this research provides various insights into human biology that pave the way for further studies of oral microsexome, shedding light on our organism's unique physiological nature.

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