Age-related variations in the oral microbiome revealed by a large population-based study from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
10.12016/j.issn.2096-1456.202550484
- Author:
CHEN Ming
1
;
ZHONG Kaiyu
1
;
HU Hongying
2
;
YOU Meng
2
Author Information
1. State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases& West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University
2. State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
oral microbiome;
National Health and Nutrition Survey;
microbial diversity;
human microbiome;
abundance of bacteria;
age factor;
confounding factors;
16S rRNA;
epidemiological study
- From:
Journal of Prevention and Treatment for Stomatological Diseases
2026;34(2):156-167
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To explore the characteristics of the diversity and composition of oral microbial flora with age, and to provide a reference for understanding the succession of oral microecology at different ages.
Methods:Oral rinse 16S rRNA (V4 region) sequencing data from 9 021 participants 14-69 years of age in the 2009-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were analyzed. Alpha diversity (Observed OTUs, Faith’s PD, Shannon Index), beta diversity (Bray-Curtis and UniFrac), and genus-level composition were examined using weighted generalized linear models (GLMs), including quadratic terms for age and adjusting for key covariates (gender, race/ethnicity, BMI, smoking status, and periodontitis severity).
Results:Alpha diversity demonstrated a clear inverted U-shaped trajectory across age, peaking at 25-30 years old and declining thereafter. This trend remained consistent across sex, race, smoking, and periodontal health strata. Beta diversity analyses revealed a modest but steady age-related shift in community structure. Genus-level analyses revealed that Rothia, Prevotella_6, and Lactobacillus increased steadily with age, while Haemophilus, Porphyromonas, and Corynebacterium declined significantly. Notably, potential periodontopathogens, such as Fusobacterium and Treponema_2, peaked in early adulthood before declining with age.
Conclusion:Age is an important driver of oral microbial succession, and the oral microbiome exhibits dynamic changes across different life stages. Future longitudinal and multi-omic studies are warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these age-related trajectories.
- Full text:202602051108297479年龄相关的口腔微生物变化特征：一项基于NHANES人群的大样本研究.pdf
