The oral microbiome in alcohol use disorder: a longitudinal analysis during inpatient treatment.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol use disorder (AUD)-induced disruption of oral microbiota can lead to poor oral health; there have been no studies published examining the longitudinal effects of alcohol use cessation on the oral microbiome. AIM: To investigate the oral microbiome during alcohol cessation during inpatient treatment for AUD. METHODS: Up to 10 oral tongue brushings were collected from 22 AUD patients during inpatient treatment at the National Institutes of Health. Alcohol use history, smoking, and periodontal disease status were measured. Oral microbiome samples were sequenced using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. RESULTS: Alpha diversity decreased linearly during treatment across the entire cohort (P = 0.002). Alcohol preference was associated with changes in both alpha and beta diversity measures. Characteristic tongue dorsum genera from the Human Microbiome Project such as Streptococcus, Prevotella, Veillonella and Haemophilus were highly correlated in AUD. Oral health-associated genera that changed longitudinally during abstinence included Actinomyces, Capnocytophaga, Fusobacterium, Neisseria and Prevotella. CONCLUSION: The oral microbiome in AUD is affected by alcohol preference. Patients with AUD often have poor oral health but abstinence and attention to oral care improve dysbiosis, decreasing microbiome diversity and periodontal disease-associated genera while improving acute oral health.

Determinants of functional performance in long-term survivors of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD).

This study examined factors accounting for functional performance limitations in 100 long-term survivors of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). Functional performance, measured by the SF-36 physical component summary score, was substantially lower (mean=36.8+/-10.7) than the US population norm of 50 (P<0.001). The most severe decrements were in physical function (mean=38.8+/-10.9) and physical role function (mean=37.88+/-11.88); 68% of respondents exceeded the five-point threshold of minimum clinically important difference below the norm on these subscales. Controlling for age and gender, six variables explained 56% of the variance in functional performance: time since cGVHD diagnosis, cGVHD severity, intensity of immunosuppression, comorbidity, functional capacity (distance walked in 2 min, grip strength, and range of motion), and cGVHD symptom bother (F=11.26; P<0.001). Significant independent predictors of impaired performance were intensive systemic immunosuppression, reduced capacity for ambulation, and greater cGVHD symptom bother (P<0.05). Symptom bother had a direct effect on functional performance, as well as an indirect effect partially mediated by functional capacity (Sobel test, P=0.004). Results suggest two possible mechanisms underlying impaired functional performance in survivors with cGVHD and underscore the importance of testing interventions to enhance functional capacity and reduce symptom bother.