Carra A Simpson1, Christina Adler2, Mieke R du Plessis3, Elizabeth R Landau4, Stuart G Dashper5, Eric C Reynolds5, Orli S Schwartz6, Julian G Simmons4. 1. Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: carra.simpson@unimelb.edu.au. 2. School of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia; Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia. 3. Hatter Institute for Cardiovascular Research in Africa, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa. 4. Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia. 5. Centre for Oral Health Research, Melbourne Dental School, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia. 6. Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Depression and anxiety are highly prevalent disorders, whose significant burden is compounded by the presence of oral disease. Mental health disorders and oral health may be associated via changes to the oral microbiome, involving increased pro-inflammatory communication and cortisol in saliva. The present study provides the first culture-independent investigation of the oral microbiome considering depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescence, a critical age where these conditions begin to emerge and co-occur. It also investigates whether inflammation and cortisol moderate these relationships. METHODS: Participants (N = 66) aged 14-18 years (69.70% female) self-reported oral health, depression and anxiety symptoms, and collected saliva samples across two days. Saliva was assayed for cortisol and C-reactive protein (CRP), and used for 16S rRNA gene sequencing to estimate the oral microbiome. Multivariate statistical analyses examined associations. RESULTS: Overall diversity of the oral microbiome did not differ between adolescents by anxiety or depression grouping (low versus high symptoms), and was not associated with symptom measures. Depression and anxiety symptoms were instead associated with differential abundance of specific bacterial taxa, including Spirochaetaceae, Actinomyces, Treponema, Fusobacterium and Leptotrichia spp. Several host mood-microbial relationships were moderated by proposed mechanisms, including salivary cortisol and CRP. CONCLUSIONS: Oral microbiome composition, but not diversity, was associated with adolescent anxiety and depression symptoms. Longitudinal studies considering these associations would improve mechanistic understanding. This research indicates that adolescence remains an essential developmental period to identify early targets for intervention.
PURPOSE:Depression and anxiety are highly prevalent disorders, whose significant burden is compounded by the presence of oral disease. Mental health disorders and oral health may be associated via changes to the oral microbiome, involving increased pro-inflammatory communication and cortisol in saliva. The present study provides the first culture-independent investigation of the oral microbiome considering depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescence, a critical age where these conditions begin to emerge and co-occur. It also investigates whether inflammation and cortisol moderate these relationships. METHODS:Participants (N = 66) aged 14-18 years (69.70% female) self-reported oral health, depression and anxiety symptoms, and collected saliva samples across two days. Saliva was assayed for cortisol and C-reactive protein (CRP), and used for 16S rRNA gene sequencing to estimate the oral microbiome. Multivariate statistical analyses examined associations. RESULTS: Overall diversity of the oral microbiome did not differ between adolescents by anxiety or depression grouping (low versus high symptoms), and was not associated with symptom measures. Depression and anxiety symptoms were instead associated with differential abundance of specific bacterial taxa, including Spirochaetaceae, Actinomyces, Treponema, Fusobacterium and Leptotrichia spp. Several host mood-microbial relationships were moderated by proposed mechanisms, including salivary cortisol and CRP. CONCLUSIONS: Oral microbiome composition, but not diversity, was associated with adolescent anxiety and depression symptoms. Longitudinal studies considering these associations would improve mechanistic understanding. This research indicates that adolescence remains an essential developmental period to identify early targets for intervention.
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