Periodontal status and microbial profiles across the clinical spectrum of liver cirrhosis

Objectives: Periodontitis is common in patients with cirrhosis, but this association remains underexplored. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess periodontal conditions and characterize periodontal biofilm composition in individuals with liver cirrhosis. Methods: Adults with liver cirrhosis were enrolled. Periodontal parameters were recorded, and supragingival and subgingival biofilm samples were collected. Forty bacterial species were quantified using checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization. Findings were stratified by Child-Pugh class and MELD score. Among patients with periodontitis, higher subgingival proportions of red-complex pathogens were observed in those with MELD < 15. Conclusions: Periodontal disease was highly prevalent in patients with cirrhosis. Although periodontal diagnosis was not associated with liver-disease severity, distinct microbiological patterns were observed. These findings highlight the potential relevance of periodontal monitoring in patients with cirrhosis and warrant further investigation in larger, longitudinal studies.