The Relationship Between Menopausal Syndrome and Salivary Microbiome

Forty patients with diagnosed MPS were recruited from Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, alongside 20 healthy perimenopausal controls enrolled through the physical examination center. All MPS participants fulfilled the clinical diagnostic criteria established by the Menopause Group of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association through outpatient assessment.
Participants of the MPS group were recruited according to the following inclusion criteria: (1) Fulfilled diagnostic criteria for MPS; (2) Females aged 45–55 years; (3) Modified Kupperman Menopausal Index (KMI) ≥15; (4) HFs with sweating ≥3 times/day; (5) FSH (Follicule-stimulating hormone) >10 U/L during menopausal transition or >40 U/L postmenopause; (6) Estradiol (E₂) <10–20 pg/mL. Participants of the Healthy Control (HC) Group were recruited according to the following inclusion criteria: (1) Females aged 45–55 years; (2) KMI <15 with absence of HFs; (3) FSH >10 U/L during menopausal transition or >40 U/L postmenopause; (4) Estradiol (E₂) <10–20 pg/mL. Exclusion criteria of both groups were: (1) Use of hormonal contraceptives or menopausal hormone therapy within 3 months prior to enrollment; (2) Antibiotic exposure or probiotic/prebiotic supplementation within 2 weeks before screening; (3) Clinically significant psychological comorbidity, defined by Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) ≥50 or Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) ≥53; (4) Major systemic disorders including: uncompensated cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases, severe hepatic or renal dysfunction, endocrine disorders, hematologic abnormalities, active psychiatric conditions requiring treatment; (5) Oral pathologies: active infections (e.g., abscesses), premalignant lesions, or histologically confirmed malignancies; (6) Chronic heavy smoking (>10 cigarettes/day for ≥5 years).