Park Dong Hyun, Tak Euon Jung, Park Ok-Jin, Perinpanayagam Hiran, Yoo Yeon-Jee, Lee Hyo-Jung, Jeong Yun-Seok, Lee Jae-Yun, Kim Hyun Sik, Bae Jin-Woo, Kum Kee-Yeon, Han Seung Hyun
Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, DRI, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biology, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyunghee-daero, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 02447, Republic of Korea.
Sci Rep. 2025 Apr 2;15(1):11253. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-95522-9.
Secondary/persistent endodontic infections (SPEIs) result from failed root canal therapy, causing persistent apical periodontitis. Current diagnostic methods for SPEIs predominantly rely on clinical and radiographic indicators, which often lack adequate sensitivity and specificity. Consequently, there is an urgent need to effectively detect SPEIs or monitor their progression. The aim of this study was to compare and characterize the microbiota of root canals and gingival sulci of teeth affected by SPEI to identify keystone pathogens as potential diagnostic biomarkers through advanced next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques. Ninety samples from 30 affected teeth in 25 patients undergoing nonsurgical retreatment were analyzed. Bacterial DNA was extracted, the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified, and sequencing was performed (Illumina MiSeq). Amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) identified 16 phyla, 182 genera, and 390 species. Microbiota in root canals differed from gingival sulci, with Acinetobacter and Veillonella prevalent in canals, and Streptococcus and Actinomyces dominant in sulci. Certain species, including Shuttleworthella satelles, Olsenella uli, Dialister invisus, Massilia timonae, and Klebsiella pneumoniae were detected in both sites, suggesting microbial migration via anatomical structures. Detecting these potential keystone pathogens of SPEI as biomarkers in readily accessible sulcus fluid could facilitate diagnoses and monitoring of progression and/or resolution. These insights provide a foundation for more accurate and targeted diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for management of SPEIs.
继发性/持续性牙髓感染（SPEIs）是由根管治疗失败引起的，会导致持续性根尖周炎。目前用于SPEIs的诊断方法主要依赖于临床和影像学指标，而这些指标往往缺乏足够的敏感性和特异性。因此，迫切需要有效地检测SPEIs或监测其进展。本研究的目的是通过先进的下一代测序（NGS）技术，比较和表征受SPEI影响牙齿的根管和龈沟中的微生物群，以确定关键病原体作为潜在的诊断生物标志物。对25例接受非手术再治疗患者的30颗患牙的90个样本进行了分析。提取细菌DNA，扩增16S rRNA基因的V3-V4区域，并进行测序（Illumina MiSeq）。扩增子序列变体（ASVs）鉴定出16个门、182个属和390个种。根管中的微生物群与龈沟不同，不动杆菌和韦荣球菌在根管中普遍存在，而链球菌和放线菌在龈沟中占主导地位。在两个部位均检测到某些物种，包括卫星沙特尔菌、尤氏奥尔森菌、隐匿戴阿利斯特菌、蒂莫纳马赛菌和肺炎克雷伯菌，这表明微生物通过解剖结构迁移。在易于获取的龈沟液中检测这些潜在的SPEI关键病原体作为生物标志物，有助于诊断和监测疾病的进展和/或缓解情况。这些见解为更准确、有针对性地诊断和治疗SPEIs提供了基础。
