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SARS-CoV-2, a severe respiratory disease primarily targeting the lungs, was the leading cause of death worldwide during the pandemic. Understanding the interplay between the oral microbiome and inflammatory cytokines during acute infection is crucial for elucidating host immune responses. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the oral microbiome and cytokines in COVID-19 patients, particularly those with and without sputum production. Saliva and blood samples from 50 COVID-19 patients were subjected to 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing for oral microbiome analysis, and 65 saliva and serum cytokines were assessed using Luminex multiplex analysis. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare cytokine levels between individuals with and without sputum production. Logistic regression machine learning models were employed to evaluate the predictive capability of oral microbiome, salivary, and blood biomarkers for sputum production. Significant differences were observed in the membership (Jaccard dissimilarity: p = 0.016) and abundance (PhILR dissimilarity: p = 0.048; metagenomeSeq) of salivary microbial communities between patients with and without sputum production. Seven bacterial genera, including Prevotella, Streptococcus, Actinomyces, Atopobium, Filifactor, Leptotrichia, and Selenomonas, were more prevalent in patients with sputum production (p<0.05, Fisher's exact test). Nine genera, including Prevotella, Megasphaera, Stomatobaculum, Selenomonas, Leptotrichia, Veillonella, Actinomyces, Atopobium, and Corynebacteria, were significantly more abundant in the sputum-producing group, while Lachnoanaerobaculum was more prevalent in the non-sputum-producing group (p<0.05, ANCOM-BC). Positive correlations were found between salivary IFN-gamma and Eotaxin2/CCL24 with sputum production, while negative correlations were noted with serum MCP3/CCL7, MIG/CXCL9, IL1 beta, and SCF (p<0.05, Mann-Whitney test). The machine learning model using only oral bacteria input outperformed the model that included all data: blood and saliva biomarkers, as well as clinical and demographic variables, in predicting sputum production in COVID-19 subjects. The performance metrics were as follows, comparing the model with only bacteria input versus the model with all input variables: precision (95% vs. 75%), recall (100% vs. 50%), F1-score (98% vs. 60%), and accuracy (82% vs. 66%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Poor sleep behavior appears to have adverse effects on health by metabolic disruption and immunity suppression. Sleep disturbance is strongly associated with diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and some cancers. This study aimed to evaluate the association between sleep duration and periodontal disease in a national US population study in a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).Methods: The data were collected from individuals aged ≥30 years and included 3,624 participants in the United States NHANES 2013 to 2014. A weighted multivariable logistic regression modeling quantified the association between sleep and severe periodontal disease. We tested for diabetes as an effect modifier, adjusting for potential confounders such as smoking status, sex, age, education level, and dental visit.Results: Individuals who sleep >7 hours/night with no trouble sleeping are 40% less likely to have severe periodontal disease (odds ratio [OR] = 0.6, P < 0.05), adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, FPL, education level, and dental visit. Additionally, diabetes was a significant positive effect modifier of the relationship between sleep and severe periodontal disease (OR = 4.8, P < 0.05).Conclusions: Findings of this cross-sectional representative study of an adult US population revealed a statistically significant association between sleep duration and severe periodontitis. In this study, individuals who slept >7 hours/night were less likely to exhibit severe periodontal disease. It also seems that this relationship was stronger among individuals with diabetes compared with individuals without diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The aim of this study was to identify lifestyle habits that contribute to night sleep reduction in the Kuwaiti population. Methods. Children were 10 to 12 years old and were approximately equally distributed among 138 elementary schools representing the 6 governorates of Kuwait. In the first phase of the study, data were collected from 8317 children. The same data were collected 2 years later from 6316 of the children from the first phase of the study. Calibrated examiners conducted sleep evaluation, lifestyle habits interviews, and body weight measurements. A multilevel random intercept and slope model was conducted to determine the effect of screen-based activities on the daily night sleep hours at 3 levels: within schools, among children, and over time. The primary dependent variable was the number of daily sleep hours. Independent variables assessed were lifestyle habits including screen-based activity variables including TV and video game use. Results. Screen-based activities were significant factors that reduced daily sleep hours (P < .05). There were statistically significant variations between schools and children over time. Conclusion. Longitudinal analysis of Kuwaiti children revealed that TV and video game use were major risk behaviors contributing to decreased sleep duration with strong clustering effect of the observations within schools across time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Evaluate oral health care access and utilisation, while identifying the specific oral health needs of the Native American Elders within the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (WTGH) on Martha's Vineyard Island., Background: Elders, particularly the WTGH face notable issues in obtaining oral health care. This study addressed the oral health gaps within the WTGH Elders through a comprehensive community needs assessment., Methods: Employing a mixed-methods approach, qualitative concept mapping interviews with stakeholders and tribe members, a quantitative survey was conducted, and deidentified billing codes were analysed., Results: Concept mapping revealed limited availability of services, accessibility and transportation, insurance challenges, lack of a centralised database, tribal/national policy and health-related self-sufficiency. Quantitative data indicated that 65% of Elders faced challenges in accessing oral health care, and 48% reported experiencing an oral health issue in the last 12 months. Additionally, 23% did not receive oral health care during this period, with a significant portion having previously utilised services at the Martha's Vineyard Hospital Oral Health Clinic., Conclusion: Establishing a formal relationship between the WTGH and an academic institution for creating a portable oral health clinic supervised by faculty and developing a structured referral system is essential. This initiative aims to dismantle barriers to oral health care, improve access, and meet the oral health needs among Elders while offering valuable educational experiences for students regarding diverse patient populations and access-to-care factors., (© 2024 The Author(s). Gerodontology published by Gerodontology Association and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)