Differential microbiota network in gingival tissues between periodontitis and periodontitis with diabetes

Periodontitis and diabetes mellitus (DM) have a bidirectional relationship. Periodontitis is initiated by dysbiosis of oral microorganisms, and in particular, the characteristics of the microorganisms that have penetrated the tissue are directly related to the disease; therefore, we investigated the effect of DM on intragingival microbial profiling of patients with periodontitis. A total of 39 subjects were recruited and divided into three groups in this case control study as follows: healthy (NA, 10), periodontitis only (PD, 18), and periodontitis with DM (PD_DM, 11). Gingival tissue was collected, DNA was extracted, and whole-genome sequencing was performed. PD and PD_DM showed different characteristics from NA in diversity and composition of the microbial community; however, no difference was found between the PD nad PD_DM. PD_DM showed discriminatory characteristics for PD in the network analysis. PD showed a network structure in which six species were connected, including three red complex species, and PD_DM’s network was more closely connected and expanded, with six additional species added to the PD network. Although DM did not significantly affect α- and β-diversity or abundance of phyla and genera of microbiota that invaded the gingival tissue of patients with periodontitis, DM will affect the progression of periodontitis by strengthening the bacterial network in the gingival tissue.