Genomic Research Laboratory. Infectious Diseases Service, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland ; University of Geneva, Department of Plant Biology, Microbiology Unit, Geneva, Switzerland.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2013 Sep 26;7(9):e2453. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002453. eCollection 2013.
Noma (cancrum oris) is a gangrenous disease of unknown etiology affecting the maxillo-facial region of young children in extremely limited resource countries. In an attempt to better understand the microbiological events occurring during this disease, we used phylogenetic and low-density microarrays targeting the 16S rRNA gene to characterize the gingival flora of acute noma and acute necrotizing gingivitis (ANG) lesions, and compared them to healthy control subjects of the same geographical and social background. Our observations raise doubts about Fusobacterium necrophorum, a previously suspected causative agent of noma, as this species was not associated with noma lesions. Various oral pathogens were more abundant in noma lesions, notably Atopobium spp., Prevotella intermedia, Peptostreptococcus spp., Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus anginosus. On the other hand, pathogens associated with periodontal diseases such as Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Capnocytophaga spp., Porphyromonas spp. and Fusobacteriales were more abundant in healthy controls. Importantly, the overall loss of bacterial diversity observed in noma samples as well as its homology to that of ANG microbiota supports the hypothesis that ANG might be the immediate step preceding noma.
坏疽性口炎（cancrum oris）是一种病因不明的疾病，影响极端资源有限国家的幼儿的颌面区域。为了更好地了解这种疾病发生的微生物事件，我们使用靶向 16S rRNA 基因的系统发育和低密度微阵列来描述急性坏疽性口炎和急性坏死性龈炎（ANG）病变的牙龈菌群，并将其与相同地理和社会背景的健康对照组进行比较。我们的观察结果对以前怀疑是坏疽性口炎病因的坏死梭杆菌（Fusobacterium necrophorum）提出了质疑，因为该物种与坏疽性口炎病变无关。各种口腔病原体在坏疽性口炎病变中更为丰富，特别是类杆菌属（Atopobium spp.）、中间普氏菌（Prevotella intermedia）、消化链球菌属（Peptostreptococcus spp.）、化脓链球菌（Streptococcus pyogenes）和咽峡炎链球菌（Streptococcus anginosus）。另一方面，与牙周病相关的病原体，如伴放线放线杆菌（Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans）、二氧化碳噬纤维菌属（Capnocytophaga spp.）、卟啉单胞菌属（Porphyromonas spp.）和梭杆菌门（Fusobacteriales）在健康对照组中更为丰富。重要的是，在坏疽性口炎样本中观察到的细菌多样性总体丧失及其与 ANG 微生物组的同源性支持了 ANG 可能是坏疽性口炎的直接前体的假设。
