Monitoring oral microbiota-virus associations as biomarkers of immune resistance

Relevance. The oral microbiota, including its interactions with viruses, plays a crucial role in an individual's immune system. Investigating these microbiota-virus associations as biomarkers for personalized health assessments through advanced laboratory testing is an emerging research field.Materials and methods. This study conducted an extensive clinical laboratory examination of the oral microbiota-virus associations across various biotopes of the digestive tract in 417 participants across different health and age categories: namely, generally healthy children and adolescents in health groups I and II (n = 253, with 456 microbiota-virus associations from 127 individuals); health group III (n = 229, with 436 microbiota-virus associations from 225 individuals); and preterm infants classified by degree of low birth weight (n = 271, with 398 microbiota-virus associations from 55 individuals).Results. Our findings showed a decrease in indigenous microbiota by 9.7% and an increase in potentially pathogenic microbiota by 19.8% across age groups (p ≤ 0.05). There was also a 5.8-fold increase in the viral components, notably Epstein-Barr virus and HHV-6, in the oral cavities of generally healthy children in health groups I and II. In health group III children, there was a notable increase in opportunistic pathogens and the detection of cytomegalovirus DNA (38.1%, p ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, the predominance of Staphylococcus species in the opportunistic pathogenic microbiota, which correlates with low birth weight, was identified as a prognostic indicator of poor microecological conditions and decreased immune resistance in preterm infants undergoing prolonged hospital care, with detection rates of 19% in extremely low birth weight and 4% in low birth weight groups (p ≤ 0.05).Conclusion. Evaluating immune resistance in children of various health statuses and age groups through the analysis of oral microbiota-virus associations is advisable for outpatient healthcare settings. This assessment can guide the provision of comprehensive physical exams for children and adolescents and the formulation of personalized treatment plans based on identified risk groups.