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Review
. 2023 Jan 24;9(2):e13198.
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13198. eCollection 2023 Feb.

Microbial dysbiosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Xiaoyun Yu  1   2 , Yongmei Shi  3 , Rongtao Yuan  2 , Zhenggang Chen  2 , Quanjiang Dong  4 , Linzi Han  1   2 , Lili Wang  4 , Jianhua Zhou  2
Affiliations
Review

Microbial dysbiosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Xiaoyun Yu et al. Heliyon. .

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to summarize previously published data and assess the alterations in the composition of the oral microbiome in OSCC using a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Design: Electronic databases were systematically searched for studies on the oral microbiome in OSCC published before December 2021. Qualitative assessments of compositional variations at the phylum level were performed. The meta-analysis on abundance changes of bacteria genera was performed via a random-effects model.

Results: A total of 18 studies involving 1056 participants were included. They consisted of two categories of studies: 1) case-control studies (n = 9); 2) nine studies that compared the oral microbiome between cancerous tissues and paired paracancerous tissues. At the phylum level, enrichment of Fusobacteria but depletion in Actinobacteria and Firmicutes in the oral microbiome was demonstrated in both categories of studies. At the genus level, Fusobacterium showed an increased abundance in OSCC patients (SMD = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.43-0.87, Z = 5.809, P = 0.000) and in cancerous tissues (SMD = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.36-0.72, Z = 5.785, P = 0.000). The abundance of Streptococcus was decreased in OSCC (SMD = -0.46, 95% CI: -0.88-0.04, Z = -2.146, P = 0.032) and in cancerous tissues (SMD = -0.45, 95% CI: -0.78-0.13, Z = -2.726, P = 0.006).

Conclusions: Disturbances in the interactions between enriched Fusobacterium and depleted Streptococcus may participate in or prompt the occurrence and development of OSCC and could be potential biomarkers for detection of OSCC.

Keywords: Fusobacterium; Meta-analysis; Microbiome; Oral squamous cell carcinoma; Streptococcus; Systematic review.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA flow diagram showing the study selection process.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The changes in the composition of the microbiome in patients with OSCC compared with those of healthy controls. (A) Heatmap analyses at the phylum level; forest plots of the relative abundance of bacterial genera using random-effects models, including (B) Fusobacterium, (C) Prevotella, (D) Streptococcus, (E) Haemophilus, and (F) Neisseria. The squares and horizontal lines represent the value of SMD and 95% CIs, respectively. The size of square boxes is proportional to each study’s weight in the meta-analysis. The diamond represents the combined value of SMD and corresponding 95% CIs. Effect value (combined value of SMD) > 0 indicates the genus has a higher relative abundance in OSCC, and vice versa.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The changes in the composition of the microbiome in cancerous tissues with OSCC compared with those from paired paracancerous tissues. (A) Heatmap analyses at the phylum level; forest plots of the relative abundance of bacterial genera using random-effects models, including (B) Fusobacterium, (C) Prevotella, (D) Streptococcus, (E) Haemophilus, and (F) Neisseria. The squares and horizontal lines represent the value of SMD and 95% CIs, respectively. The size of square boxes is proportional to each study’s weight in the meta-analysis. The diamond represents the combined value of SMD and corresponding 95% CIs. Effect value (combined value of SMD) > 0 indicates the genus has a higher relative abundance in cancerous tissue, and vice versa.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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