A specific tongue microbiota signature is found in patients displaying an improvement of orosensory lipid perception after a sleeve gastrectomy

Introduction: A preferential consumption of low-fat foods is reported by most of the patients after a vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG). The fact that a recent study shed light on a relationship between oral microbiota and fat taste sensitivity in obese patients prompted us to explore whether such a connection also exists in the context of a VSG. Methods: Thirty-two adult female patients with a severe obesity (BMI = 43.1 ± 0.7 kg/m2 ) and candidates for a VSG were selected. Oral microbiota composition surrounding the gustatory circumvallate papillae (CVP) and the lipid perception thresholds were explored before and 6 months after surgery. Results: VSG was found to be associated both with a qualitative (compositional changes) and quantitative (lower gene richness) remodeling of the peri-CVP microbiota. Analysis of the lipid perception allowed us to distinguish two subgroups: patients with a post-operative improvement of the fat taste sensitivity (i.e., with a lower threshold, n = 14) and unimproved patients (n = 18). Specific peri-CVP microbiota signatures also discriminated these two subgroups, unimproved patient being characterized by higher levels of Porphyromonas, Fusobacterium, and Haemophilus genera associated with lower levels of Atopobium and Prevotella genera as compared to the lipid-improved patients. Results: Collectively, these data raise the possibility that the microbial environment surrounding gustatory papillae might play a role in the positive changes of fat taste sensitivity observed in some patients after VSG.

引言：多数接受袖状胃切除术（vertical sleeve gastrectomy, VSG）的肥胖患者术后更偏好低脂食物。近期有研究揭示了肥胖患者口腔微生物群与脂肪味觉敏感性之间存在关联，这促使我们探究在VSG术后场景中是否同样存在此类关联。方法：本研究纳入32名符合袖状胃切除术指征的重度肥胖成年女性患者，其体重指数（BMI）为43.1±0.7 kg/m²。分别于术前及术后6个月，对患者味觉轮廓乳头（circumvallate papillae, CVP）周围的口腔微生物群组成以及脂质感知阈值进行检测分析。结果：研究发现，VSG可导致轮廓乳头周围微生物群发生质性（组成改变）与量性（基因丰富度降低）重塑。通过对脂质感知能力的分析，可将患者分为两个亚组：术后脂肪味觉敏感性得到改善（即阈值降低）的患者（n=14），以及未出现改善的患者（n=18）。特定的轮廓乳头周围微生物群特征同样可区分这两个亚组：与脂肪味觉敏感性改善的患者相比，未改善患者的卟啉单胞菌属（Porphyromonas）、梭杆菌属（Fusobacterium）及嗜血杆菌属（Haemophilus）丰度更高，而阿托波菌属（Atopobium）与普雷沃菌属（Prevotella）丰度更低。结果：综合上述数据，本研究提示味觉乳头周围的微生物环境可能在部分接受VSG的患者术后脂肪味觉敏感性的正向改善中发挥作用。