Changes in oral microbial profiles associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma vs leukoplakia

Aim: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most frequently occurring cancer among head and neck SCC worldwide. The identification of novel effective biomarkers for early detection may greatly improve the survival rate and prognosis of patients with OSCC. This study aimed to identify specific oral microbial profiles associated with OSCC.

Methods: Saliva samples were collected from oral leukoplakia (OLK) and OSCC patients (N = 6 each) and healthy controls (HC; N = 4). Total bacterial genomic DNA was isolated and 16S rRNA gene survey was performed by next-generation sequencing of the V4 region. The relative distribution of abundance for phylogenetic groups was compared among the OSCC and OLK groups.

Results: The 448 operational taxonomic units detected from the libraries were classified into 133 genera, 69 families, 41 orders, 26 classes and 12 phyla. The abundance of phyla Bacteroidetes and genus Solobacterium was notably higher in the OSCC group when compared with the OLK group, whereas those of genus Streptococcus was significantly lower in the OSCC group when compared with the OLK.

Conclusion: These changes in the salivary microbiome may have potential applications as a novel diagnostic tool for the early detection of OSCC.