Oropharynx microbiota among alcoholics and non-alcoholics

Abstract

CONTEXT: The oropharynx microbiota plays an important role in the origin of infections, especially among alcoholics whose airway defenses are impaired. OBJECTIVE: To compare the normal oropharingeal flora in heavy alcohol drinker and non-alcoholics. PATIENTS: 117 persons, 58 heavy alcohol drinkers and 59 non-alcoholics. SETTING: Santa Casa de São Paulo Emergency Service. DESIGN: A blind prospective study. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Prevalence of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, and fungi. RESULTS: The study of the oropharynx microbiota among heavy alcohol drinkers demonstrated the presence of anaerobic microorganisms in 84.5% of them, including: Bacteroides sp, Prevotella melaninogenica, Fusobacterium sp, Veilonella sp, Peptostreptococcus sp, Propionibacterium sp, Bifidobacterium sp and Clostridium sp, versus 30.5% (p<0.005) of non-alcoholics. Candida sp was present in 34.5% of heavy alcohol drinkers and 5.1% of non-alcoholics (p<0.005). Enterobacteria predominated among heavy alcohol drinkers (25%) compared with non-alcoholics (5.5%) only in the age group 14 to 34 years (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Based upon these results, it was possible to conclude that the knowledge of the oropharynx microbiota among heavy drinkers and non-alcoholics has an important predictive value concerning probable etiologic agents of lower airway infections. Infections caused by anaerobic microorganisms and fungi should be taken into consideration during the choice of empirical therapy for heavy alcohol drinkers.

Pneumonia and alcohol use disorder: Implications for treatment

“…[31][32][33] Indeed, studies in which swabs of the oropharynx of patients with AUD were compared with those of controls without AUD found higher prevalences of gram-negative organisms, in particular K pneumoniae ( Table 2). [31][32][33][34]…”

FatalPlasmodium falciparum,Clostridium perfringens, andCandida spp.Coinfections in a Traveler to Haiti

“…, are present in 84.5% of heavy drinkers, compared with 30.5% of nonalcoholics and similarly, Candida spp. were found in 34.5% of heavy drinkers whereas only 5.5% of nonalcoholics carried the microbiota [34]. The pathogens detected by bronchoalveolar lavage, Klebsiella pneumoniae , and Acinetobacter baumannii are particularly common causes of pneumonia in chronic alcoholics; while Pseudomas aeruginosa is associated with mechanical ventilation [35].…”

The Microbiome at Other Mucosal Sites

“…Lifestyle affects the oropharyngeal microbiome; therefore, alcoholic patients show a higher prevalence of Bacteroides, Prevotella, Veillonella, Fusobacterium, Peptostreptococcus, Propionibacterium, Bifidobacterium, and Clostridium species and enterobacteria compared with nonalcoholic adults (Golin et al, 1998). The nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal microbiome is more diverse in smokers than in nonsmokers (Charlson et al, 2010;Erb-Downward et al, 2011).…”