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Abstract Young adults are increasingly using non-cigarette products, such as hookahs, since they are perceived as healthier alternatives to cigarette smoking. However, hookah users are exposed to not only carcinogenic compounds but also microorganisms that may play an active role in the development of both infectious and chronic diseases among users. Nevertheless, existing hookah research in this area has focused only on microorganisms that may be transferred to users through the smoking apparatus and not on bacterial communities associated with hookah tobacco. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted time-series experiments on commercially available hookah brands (Al Fakher (flavors: two apple, mint, and watermelon) and Fumari (flavors: white gummy bear, ambrosia, and mint chocolate chill)) stored under three different temperature and relative humidity conditions over 14 days. To characterize bacterial communities, the total DNA was extracted on days 0, 5, 9, and 14, PCR-amplified for the V3V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene, sequenced on the Illumina HiSeq platform, and analyzed using R. Diversity (alpha and beta) analyses revealed that the microbiotas of Fumari and Al Fakher products differed significantly and that flavor had a significant effect on the hookah microbiota. Overall, Pseudomonas , Bacillus , Sphingomonas , and Methylobacterium were the predominant bacterial taxa across all products . Additionally, we observed compositional differences between hookah brands across the 14-day incubation . These data suggest that the bacterial communities of hookah tobacco are diverse and differ across brands and flavors, which may have critical implications regarding exposures to specific bacteria among hookah users. Key points • Commercial hookah products harbor diverse bacterial communities . • Brands and flavors impact the diversity of these communities . • Research on their viability and transmission to users’ respiratory tracts is needed . Graphical abstract
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Oral microbiome dysbiosis among cigarette smokers and smokeless tobacco users compared to non-users
Abstract Tobacco use significantly influences the oral microbiome. However, less is known about how different tobacco products specifically impact the oral microbiome over time. To address this knowledge gap, we characterized the oral microbiome of cigarette users, smokeless tobacco users, and non-users over 4 months (four time points). Buccal swab and saliva samples (n = 611) were collected from 85 participants. DNA was extracted from all samples and sequencing was carried out on an Illumina MiSeq, targeting the V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Cigarette and smokeless tobacco users had more diverse oral bacterial communities, including a higher relative abundance ofFirmicutesand a lower relative abundance ofProteobacteria, when compared to non-users. Non-users had a higher relative abundance ofActinomyces, Granulicatella, Haemophilus, Neisseria, Oribacterium, Prevotella, Pseudomonas, Rothia, andVeillonellain buccal swab samples, compared to tobacco users. While the most abundant bacterial genera were relatively constant over time, some species demonstrated significant shifts in relative abundance between the first and last time points. In addition, some opportunistic pathogens were detected among tobacco users includingNeisseria subflava, Bulleidia mooreiandPorphyromonas endodontalis. Overall, our results provide a more holistic understanding of the structure of oral bacterial communities in tobacco users compared to non-users.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1828910
- PAR ID:
- 10505154
- Publisher / Repository:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Scientific Reports
- Volume:
- 14
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2045-2322
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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