Inflammation-type dysbiosis of the oral microbiome associates with the duration of COVID-19 symptoms and long-COVID, 2021, Haran et al

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused the pandemic Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and now many face the burden of prolonged symptoms—long-lasting COVID-19 symptoms or “long-COVID”. Long-COVID is thought to be linked to immune dysregulation due to harmful inflammation, with the exact causes being unknown.

Given the role of the microbiome in mediating inflammation, we aimed to examine the relationship between the oral microbiome and the duration of long-COVID symptoms. Tongue swabs were collected from patients presenting with symptoms concerning for COVID-19. Confirmed infections were followed until resolution of all symptoms. Bacterial composition was determined by metagenomic sequencing. We used random forest modeling to identify microbiota and clinical covariates that associated with long-COVID symptoms.

Of the patients followed, 63% (17/27) developed ongoing symptomatic COVID-19 and 37% (10/27) went on to long-COVID. Patients with prolonged symptoms had significantly higher abundances of microbiota that induce inflammation, such as members of the genera Prevotella and Veillonella. Of note are species that produce lipopolysaccharides and the similarity of long-COVID patients’ oral microbiome to those of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

All together, we our findings suggest an association with the oral microbiome and long-COVID revealing the possibility that dysfunction of the oral microbiome may contribute to this draining disease.
paragraph breaks added

Open access, https://insight.jci.org/articles/view/152346

 

Potential role of microbiome in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME), 2020, Lupo

Chronic fatigue syndrome patients have alterations in their oral microbiome composition and function - Taiwu Wang

 

Copied post

Medical Express Study finds association between long COVID symptoms and altered oral microbiome

quotes:

Study co-author Dr. Bradley, assistant professor of emergency medicine, explained that it's not clear what the differences seen in the microbiome of long COVID patients reflect. "We believe that the oral microbiome influences how an individual's immune system responds to COVID and so a pro-inflammatory microbiome could lead to prolonged symptoms even after the virus is cleared. It's also possible that in some individuals, COVID drives a change in the microbiome toward a pro-inflammatory profile, which leads to prolonged symptoms."

...

There has been a growing concern that long COVID patients resemble patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. These two conditions share some of the same symptoms, especially fatigue and cognitive impairment. Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome is a condition characterized by chronic fatigue, lasting at least six months, that impairs one's ability to perform daily activities and typically has additional impairments in memory and concentration. This syndrome is also linked closely to chronic inflammation as the driver of these patients' symptoms.

 

I don't expect an answer, but could this be an effect of the number of rounds of antibiotics someone has had throughout life? Or the type of antibiotics?

 

A (pretty long) summary:

Oral Dysbiosis Strongly Contributes to Symptomatic Infection and Long Covid
Results from an observational cohort study
Paul Richard Saunders PhD, ND, DHANP, CCH

https://www.naturalmedicinejournal....tributes-symptomatic-infection-and-long-covid

 

i have encountered research that says that inflammation [edit: inflammatory cytokines] can be the cause of dental problems. do pwme have more than normal, after controlling for diet, dental hygiene practices, or anything else?

 

Hasn’t there been research indicating people with ME have predictable differences in the oral microdome, and when raising the issue of dental problems on social media some at least of us perceive a relationship with out dental health and our ME.

Personally, the initial acute EBV infection that was associated with the onset of ME also was associated with the first abscess I experienced in the first week of my condition, and subsequently it feels like I experience dental problems during relapses, with it taking several years to get everything sorted as my ME improves, only to repeat the cycle with my next relapse. However it is impossible to rule out this being linked to poorer oral hygiene and poorer diet because of poorer health, and the lack of easily accessible domiciliary dental support, so I only get to see a dentist/hygienist when I am well enough to get to the surgery.

 

Given how inaccessible dental health is to many pwME, probably, but no one would ever know. Do they even do basic research in dentistry? Probably but only very specific, or about procedures.

My father found a pretty good compromise for that, I'll be seeing a dental hygienist next week who has a private practice at home close by. Clinics are almost built to be chaotic hellish places for anyone with sensory issues, this bypasses the problem, uh, mostly.

Like most things, I assume that dental care is something that goes out the window for many, at least until they start developing problems, which is of course far more expensive overall. Another example of increased costs as a result of the negligence that no one can even know about. Unless they simply think about it, but that's about 2 dozen people or so and none of them are into dentistry.