Clinical and microbiological parameters of naturally occurring periodontitis in the non-human primate Macaca mulatta

Abstract

Background: Non-human primates appear to represent the most faithful model of human disease, but to date the oral microbiome in macaques has not been fully characterized using next-generation sequencing. Objective: In the present study, we characterized the clinical and microbiological features of naturally occurring periodontitis in non-human primates (Macaca mulatta). Design: Clinical parameters of periodontitis including probing pocket depth (PD) and bleeding on probing (BOP) were measured in 40 adult macaques (7–22 yrs), at six sites per tooth. Subgingival plaque was collected from diseased and healthy sites, and subjected to 16S rDNA sequencing and identification at the species or higher taxon level. Results: All macaques had mild periodontitis at minimum, with numerous sites of PD ≥ 4 mm and BOP. A subset (14/40) had moderate-severe disease, with >2 sites with PD ≥ 5mm, deeper mean PD, and more BOP. Animals with mild vs moderate-severe disease were identical in age, suggesting genetic heterogeneity. 16S rDNA sequencing revealed that all macaques had species that were identical to those in humans or closely related to human counterparts, including Porphyromonas gingivalis which was present in all animals. Diseased and healthy sites harboured distinct microbiomes; however there were no significant differences in the microbiomes in moderate-severe vs. mild periodontitis. Conclusions: Naturally occurring periodontitis in older macaques closely resembles human adult periodontitis, thus validating a useful model to evaluate novel anti-microbial therapies.

Prevalence and Molecular Analysis of Novel Newly Identified Periodontal Pathogens in Subgingival Plaque Samples of Saudi Patients with Chronic Periodontitis

“…The prevalence of Fn was assessed in 94% of patients, which was in accordance with the reported prevalence rates of 80%-100% [9,19,20]. Recent studies have shown that Fn is one of the furthermost abundant gram-negative anaerobes in mature supragingival and subgingival plaques of both healthy subjects and patients with periodontitis [21,22]. The less prevalent microorganism was Cg, affecting only 39 patients with chronic periodontal disease (16.5%).…”

Comparison of periodontal status between middle-aged human and the Macaca fascicularis

“…However, we surprisingly found that the aveolar bone of MAM were in a healthy state without significant resorpsion. This result is contradicted by other studies suggesting obvious aveolar bone loss in middle-aged non-human primates [11,18,21], which should arose our high attention. Also, our results showed that the amount of alveolar bone resorbed in MAM was significantly less than MAH.…”

“…type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis etc.) [9][10][11]. Thus, periodontal disease in the middle-aged population is attracting more attention and researchers are now trying to understand and tackle the disease of midl from multiple angles, especially the importance of oral microbiome.…”

Microbiome Profiles of Ligature-Induced Periodontitis in Nonhuman Primates across the Life Span

“…Thus, this study used the ligature-induced periodontitis nonhuman primate model, whose oral microbiome is more similar to that of humans (24,25), to provide new details on the kinetics of changes in the subgingival microbiome with the initiation, progression, and resolution of periodontal lesions. The investigation was also able to compare and contrast these changes across the life span and potentially identify unique characteristics of the microbiome in younger individuals who are less susceptible to periodontitis, as demonstrated in both humans and these nonhuman primates (26)(27)(28).…”