Evaluation of the relationship between subgingival microbiome in obese and nonobese clinically healthy and periodontitis patients – An experimental study

Background: This study investigates the association between obesity and the prevalence of periodontopathic bacteria in obese/overweight individuals and healthy/normal-weight individuals, focusing mainly on the red complex organisms in individuals with and without periodontitis. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 14 participants (7 obese/overweight and 7 healthy weight individuals), further categorized into periodontitis and healthy periodontium groups. Body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio were measured, total cholesterol level was determined, and probing pocket depth was determined. Subgingival plaque samples were obtained and examined for the presence of Tannerella forsythia , Porphyromonas gingivalis , and Treponema denticola through the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. Results: Obese patients had a significant association with P . gingivalis . In contrast, T . forsythia and T . denticola numbers were not statistically significant. Five out of seven obese participants had periodontitis, compared to four out of seven participants in the healthy weight group. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this pilot cross-sectional study, obesity was associated with an increased prevalence of P . gingivalis in individuals with periodontitis. These findings suggest that obesity may have a possible association with alterations in the subgingival red complex bacterial profile. However, results should be interpreted cautiously, and larger longitudinal studies are required to confirm these observations.