Recent studies are showing an association between oral microbiome community changes and oral diseases, including oral cancer. The prevalence of betel quid chewing has been linked to the incidence of oral cancer, particularly in the Northeast region of India. Hence, the study to understand the bacterial community shifts induced by betel quid to identify dysbiotic microbial signatures will not only aid in early diagnosis of oral cancers but also facilitate the development of strategies to restore microbial balance and potentially prevent disease progression. The present cross-sectional study evaluated the oral microbiome of 92 adults in Meghalaya, India, using a 16 S rRNA sequencing approach. Significant differences were observed in the bacterial community in betel quid chewers and non-chewers. Alpha diversity, assessed using Chao1 and observed genera metrics, was significantly higher in betel quid chewers as compared to non-chewers, especially among long-term users and male individuals. Beta diversity analysis revealed significant community compositional differences between Betel quid chewers and non-chewers, more notably in males and individuals aged 40–60 years. Betel quid chewers demonstrated a higher number of unique taxa (63 Overall; 102 Male; 123 in 40–60 years old) compared to non-chewer samples. Linear discriminant analysis identified Haemophilus, Fusobacterium, and Lautropia enriched in non-chewers, while Lachnoclostridium, Ottowia, and Prevotella were enriched in chewers. Additionally, Pediococcus pentosaceus and Leuconostoc citrenum were found exclusively in older, long-term chewers; Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus salivarius in non-chewers. These findings highlight profound BQ-associated oral microbiome dysbiosis.
Bahuguna et al. (Fri,) studied this question.