Poor Oral Hygiene After Stroke Can Alter Inflammation Risk

The study covered in this summary was published on ResearchSquare.com as a preprint and has not yet been peer reviewed.

Researchers found that among patients with severe and cardioembolic stroke who also had oral dysbiosisin, levels of blood inflammatory cytokines were elevated.
The study demonstrated that specific oral microbiota may be associated with stroke.

The results suggest a correlation between oral dysbiosis and an increase in blood inflammatory cytokine levels in patients with severe or cardioembolic stroke.
The study supports future research to determine the long-term effects of oral dysbacteriosis in people with stroke.

The study included 224 patients (162 acute ischemic stroke patients and 62 control patients with other neurologic diseases or symptoms) from the Department of Neurology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University.
Of the 162 stroke patients, the median age was 65 years, and 64.8% were men.
- Stroke patients aged ≥18 years, those diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke, those with stroke subtypes, and those who were within 7 days of stroke onset were included in the stroke group.
- Patients with a history of antibiotics or probiotics within 1 month prior to enrollment; those with upper respiratory tract infection, lung infection, or other infectious diseases; and those with dementia, mood disorders, schizophrenia, or other psychological or mental disorders were excluded.
Oral microbiota communities were assessed by sequencing the V3–V4 region of the 16S DNA gene.
Levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, homocysteine, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, SLCO1B1, APOE, CYP2C19, IL6, IL8, IL1β, TNF-α, and sCD40L were analyzed in relation with oral microbiota.

The oral microbiota of the stroke and control groups were similar; however, the oral microbiota of those with severe stroke and cardioembolic stroke were significantly different.
- Megasphaera, Prevotella_1, Clostridia, Selenomonas_3, Prevotella_6, and Dialister were enriched in the severe stroke subgroup.
- Prevotella_6, Staphylococcus, Staphylococcaceae, and Peptostreptococcus were significantly enriched in the cardioembolic stroke subgroup.
Levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, TNF-α, and sCD40L were significantly higher in stroke patients than in control patients.
- Levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, TNF-α, and sCD40L were significantly correlated with Peptostreptococcus, Staphylococcus, Selenomonas, Megasphaera, and other bacteria.