Parkinson’s disease alters the composition of subgingival microbiome

AimThe current study aimed to test the hypothesis that Parkinson’s disease exacerbates periodontitis by altering its microbiome.Materials and MethodsClinical periodontal parameters were recorded. Subgingival samples from healthy controls, periodontitis patients (PD), and Parkinson’s patients with periodontitis (PA+PD) were analyzed using the checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization technique for targeting 40 bacterial species typically associated with periodontal disease and health. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene (V1-V3 regions) was performed to analyze the microbiome comprehensively.ResultsParkinson’s patients had mild-to-moderate motor dysfunctions. Bleeding on probing was significantly increased in the PA+PD group compared to PD (p