The relationship of microbial biodiversity and clinical forms of oral lichen planus: analysis based on 16S rRNA sequencing

BACKGROUND: The composition and changes of microbiota have a significant impact on overall health and the development of various diseases. Of particular relevance is the problem of changes in the oral microbiota in patients with lichen planus of the oral mucosa. Studying the relationship between the composition of the oral microbiota and the pathogenesis of oral lichen planus will improve the understanding of the mechanisms of this disease. Thus, this topic is of considerable interest to a wide range of specialists in the field of medicine and biology.

AIM: Detailed analysis of oral cavity microbiota and establishment of potential pathogenetic microbial associations with oral lichen planus.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included samples from patients diagnosed with various forms of oral red squamous lichen planus (lichen planus erosive-ulcerative) and a control group. The investigation was based on analyzing microbial diversity metrics (alpha and beta diversity), relative abundance of bacterial taxa, and identification of unique bacterial taxa in the oral red squamous lichen planus patients. This analysis utilized the 16S rRNA sequencing method.

RESULTS: The analysis revealed a rich bacterial composition in patients with oral lichen planus, which was significantly different from that in the control group. Differences were also observed between the subgroups, especially between the typical and erosive-ulcerative forms of the disease. Notably, beta diversity did not show significant differences between the groups, indicating a similar overall microbiota composition despite fluctuations in the relative abundance of species. Nevertheless, the typical clinical form of the disease demonstrated more significant differences in the microbiota structure compared to the hyperkeratotic and erosive-ulcerative forms. Furthermore, analysis of the study groups revealed the presence of 50% shared microbial species, while the other half was represented by unique species associated with oral lichen planus. Regarding the subgroups, it was found that unique microorganisms correlated with the typical and erosive-ulcerative forms, respectively, providing a deeper understanding of the specific microbiological profile in the context of this disease.

CONCLUSION: The study confirmed the hypothesis of an association between the microbiota composition and oral lichen planus, which may be of importance for the development of novel therapeutic approaches.