Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Department of Preventive Dentistry, Gustav Mahlerlaan 3004, 1081 LA, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Department of Preventive Dentistry, Gustav Mahlerlaan 3004, 1081 LA, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; TNO Microbiology and Systems Biology, Utrechtseweg 48, 3704 HE, Zeist, The Netherlands.
J Dent. 2020 Sep;100:103428. doi: 10.1016/j.jdent.2020.103428. Epub 2020 Jul 9.
Large longitudinal cohort studies in infants are needed to understand oral microbiome maturation in relation to general health. The logistics of such studies are complex and costs involved high. Methods like home sampling by caretakers might be a solution to these issues. This study aimed to evaluate feasibility of home sampling by caretakers and to assess which oral niche provides the most reliable sample.
In this cross-sectional study 30 mothers and their infants aged 2-15 months participated. Swabs of the tongue, buccal mucosa, saliva, and dental plaque of the mother and the infant were collected by the mother after watching an instruction video. Thereafter, the trained researcher repeated the sample collection. Variations on the sampling protocol were listed. Bacterial DNA was quantified and microbial composition was assessed using 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing.
None of the sampled niches appeared to be unfeasible based on interviews and observed variations on protocol. No significant differences in bacterial DNA concentration between operators (mother and researcher) were found. In infant's saliva, Shannon diversity of samples collected by the researcher was significantly higher than those collected by mothers (p = 0.0009) and the bacterial composition was influenced by variations on sampling protocol (p = 0.01).
Home sampling by caretakers is a feasible method for oral sample collection in infants and mothers. Oral samples collected by mothers resemble samples collected by a trained researcher, with the tongue sample being the most similar and saliva the least.
Home sampling can simplify longitudinal oral microbiota collection.
需要在婴儿中进行大型纵向队列研究，以了解口腔微生物组与整体健康的成熟关系。这些研究的后勤工作复杂，涉及的成本高昂。护理人员在家中采样等方法可能是解决这些问题的一种方法。本研究旨在评估护理人员在家中采样的可行性，并评估哪个口腔部位提供最可靠的样本。
在这项横断面研究中，30 名 2-15 个月大的母亲及其婴儿参与。母亲在观看教学视频后，用拭子采集母亲和婴儿的舌、颊黏膜、唾液和牙菌斑。之后，经过培训的研究人员重复了样本采集。列出了采样方案的变化。使用 16S rDNA 扩增子测序定量细菌 DNA，并评估微生物组成。
根据访谈和观察到的方案变化，没有发现任何采样部位不可行。操作人员（母亲和研究人员）之间的细菌 DNA 浓度没有显著差异。在婴儿的唾液中，研究人员采集的样本的香农多样性明显高于母亲采集的样本（p=0.0009），并且采样方案的变化会影响细菌组成（p=0.01）。
护理人员在家中采样是一种可行的婴儿和母亲口腔样本采集方法。母亲采集的口腔样本与经过培训的研究人员采集的样本相似，其中舌样本最相似，唾液样本最不相似。
家庭采样可以简化纵向口腔微生物组的采集。
