Structural and functional changes in the oral microbiome of the patients with craniofacial microsomia

Abstract Background Craniofacial microsomia (CFM), the second most common congenital craniofacial deformity, has manifold clinical manifestations and treatments that may interact with oral bacteria dysbiosis (OBD). However, studies exploring the relationship between CFM and OBD are scanty. Methods Saliva samples of 20 patients with CFM and 24 controls were collected, and oral microflora and gene function annotation were compared using 16S ribosomal RNA and metagenomics. The correlation between clinical phenotypes of CFM and microbiota community structure was also evaluated. Results The oral microflora of CFM patients exhibited higher richness and evenness. The dominant genera in CFM were mainly pathogenic and included Actinomyces, Fusobacterium, and Prevotella. The severity of CFM was significantly positively correlated with the abundance of Neisseria and Porphyromonas. The upregulated pathways were primarily enriched in biotin and amino acid metabolism, including Tryptophan metabolism, which positively correlated with the abundance of Neisseria. Conclusion This study suggests for the first time that patients with CFM exhibit distinct oral bacterial dysbiosis, characterized by an elevated prevalence of opportunistic pathogens and upregulated pathways associated with oral and systemic health. These findings provide evidence for corresponding preventions and therapeutic interventions of CFM.