Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42445282›Full record

ArticleJournal of oral microbiology2026

A two-hit ecological framework linking social context to caries-associated microbiome shifts in children.

KeXin Xue, Shengmei Lei, Xiaojing Cheng, Wenfei Xu, Zhehao Lin, Yutong Zhou, Xiaokai Mao, Xin Ge, Haihua Zhu, Fudong Zhu

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of oral microbiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

KeXin XueDepartment of Stomatology, Stomatology Hospital, School of Stomatology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Shengmei LeiDepartment of Stomatology, Wuyi County Stomatological Hospital, Wuyi, Zhejiang, China.
Xiaojing ChengDepartment of Stomatology, Wuyi County Stomatological Hospital, Wuyi, Zhejiang, China.
Wenfei XuDepartment of Stomatology, Wuyi County Stomatological Hospital, Wuyi, Zhejiang, China.
Zhehao LinDepartment of Stomatology, Stomatology Hospital, School of Stomatology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Yutong ZhouEye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Xiaokai MaoCollege of Computer Science and Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Xin GeDepartment of Stomatology, Stomatology Hospital, School of Stomatology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Haihua ZhuDepartment of Stomatology, Stomatology Hospital, School of Stomatology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Fudong ZhuDepartment of Stomatology, Stomatology Hospital, School of Stomatology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Dental caries arises from an ecological imbalance within a complex community. How chronic social context relates to ecological heterogeneity and dysbiosis-associated microbial shifts in school-age children remains unclear. Objective: To investigate the associations of left-behind status and caries burden with the salivary microbiome and to explore a two-hit ecological framework linking social context to caries-associated microbial shifts. Design: In this cross-sectional study, 127 rural children were classified using a 2 × 2 framework based on left-behind status and caries burden. Saliva samples underwent shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Ecological analyses and covariate-adjusted multivariable models were performed. Results: Alpha diversity did not differ across groups. Global community centroids were similar, whereas within-group dispersion was higher in left-behind children, suggesting greater ecological heterogeneity. After covariate adjustment, no genus-level associations remained significant, whereas several KEGG level 3 pathways related to translation and carbohydrate utilization were positively associated with dmft. Stratified analyses showed concordant caries-related enrichment of Conclusion: The findings are consistent with a two-hit ecological framework in which social context is associated with greater ecological heterogeneity and cariogenic pressure is associated with reproducible functional shifts. Given the cross-sectional design, this framework should be considered hypothesis-generating.

Indexed as

Dental cariesecological heterogeneityleft-behind childrenmetagenomicssalivary microbiomeshotgun metagenomicssocial determinants

Identifiers

PMID42445282
PMCPMC13360639

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