ANCIENT ORAL MICROBIOTA IN CHILDREN SHEDS LIGHT ON THE MODERN STATUS OF HEALTH

BACKGROUND The microorganisms of the human oral cavity include an extensive number of bacteria, more than 700 species or phenotypes. Some of these bacteria have been linked to juvenile oral or systemic diseases, such as osteomyelitis infective endocarditis, preterm low birth weight, although little is known about the positive role of microflora in the healthy subject. Many articles indicate that some “diseases of civilization” are strictly correlated to changes in the microbiome following the food revolution that occurred after WWII. For that reason, a precise recognition of the microbiome profile before and after this period should be useful to determine the health-compatible model of microbiome. New research avenues should lead to a more individually oriented treatment, by providing the potential of manipulating the microbiome to optimize personal health. Recently, the use of dental tissues has been described as the most representative source of ancient DNA. The analysis of these samples with molecular biology tools may provide a powerful method of studying human habits, epidemiological diseases, human migrations and genetic drift. Subsequently, the aim of this study was to compare the microbiome profiles (numbers of total cells, and pathogen types) of dental samples obtained from two distinct groups of children, a 200-year-old retrieved one and a present one.