Wu · BMC microbiology 2023 · cross-sectional case-control study · n=111

Bacterial diversity and community characteristics of the sinus and dental regions in adults with odontogenic sinusitis.

Cited 16 times in the scientific literature.

Level 4 - case-series / case-control

Case-control observational study comparing microbiome profiles between patients and controls

PubMed 37516855 · doi:10.1186/s12866-023-02917-7 · record verified 2026-08-28

What was done

Nasal secretion samples (41 odontogenic sinusitis [OS] patients and 20 nasal septum deviation controls) and oral mucosa samples (28 OS patients and 22 impacted tooth extraction controls) were collected. The authors conducted 16S rRNA gene sequencing to compare bacterial community structure, alpha and beta diversity, dominant taxa, and co-occurrence networks between sinus and oral regions.

What was found

The abstract reports directional findings without exact numerical values, p-values, or confidence intervals. Alpha and beta diversity were higher in OS patients than in controls for both oral and nasal sites. Bacteroidetes was the dominant phylum in OS patients, whereas Firmicutes dominated in controls at both sites. Dominant genera shared between oral and nasal samples in OS patients included Fusobacterium, Porphyromonas, and Prevotella. Co-occurrence network analysis demonstrated reduced microbial connectivity in OS samples.

Why it matters

This study demonstrates overlapping anaerobic microbial profiles between dental sites and the nasal cavity in odontogenic sinusitis, supporting the role of odontogenic flora translocation in sinus disease.

Limits

The abstract lacks exact quantitative measurements, test statistics, and effect sizes. The sample size is modest, the cross-sectional design cannot establish causality, and 16S rRNA sequencing cannot differentiate live organisms or provide strain-level resolution.

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