The Impact of Bacterial-Fungal Interactions on Childhood Caries Pathogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Caries is the most prevalent chronic disease affecting oral health in preschool children. In this 12-month prospective cohort study of 3-4-year-olds, we investigated the community-level bacterial-fungal interkingdom interactome and its role in cariogenic microenvironments, using 16S rRNA gene (bacterial) sequencing and ITS2 gene (fungal) sequencing of unstimulated saliva. Longitudinal analysis identified 19 key bacterial and fungal species that were associated with both caries progression and clinical features. Salivary bacteria Desulfovibrio, Bacteroides heparinolyticus, Alloprevotella, Anaerobiospirillum, and fungus Candida tropicalis not only showed altered abundances during caries development but also correlated with severity of caries, establishing d

SUBMITTER: Huang S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12567057 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature