Periodontal status and microbial profiles across the clinical spectrum of liver cirrhosis.

Objectives: Periodontitis is common in patients with cirrhosis, but this association remains underexplored. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess periodontal conditions and characterize periodontal biofilm composition in individuals with liver cirrhosis. Methods: Adults with liver cirrhosis were enrolled. Periodontal parameters were recorded, and supragingival and subgingival biofilm samples were collected. Forty bacterial species were quantified using checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization. Findings were stratified by Child-Pugh class and MELD score. Results: Forty-five patients were included; 88.9% exhibited periodontal disease (57.8% gingivitis on a reduced periodontium, 31.1% periodontitis), and 11.1% were periodontally healthy. Periodontal diagnosis was not associated with liver-disease severity ( Conclusions: Periodontal disease was highly prevalent in patients with cirrhosis. Although periodontal diagnosis was not associated with liver-disease severity, distinct microbiological patterns were observed. These findings highlight the potential relevance of periodontal monitoring in patients with cirrhosis and warrant further investigation in larger, longitudinal studies.