Untargeted Salivary Metabolomics In Early Childhood Caries

This study employs comparative salivary metabolomics in Han and Uyghur children with caries to identify ethnicity-specific metabolic pathways (e.g., oxidative phosphorylation) and biomarkers, advancing personalized prevention strategies. Saliva from 20 caries-active children underwent untargeted metabolomic profiling. Differential metabolites were selected via PLS-DA (VIP >1, P <0.05), with functional pathway enrichment analyzed using KEGG. Caries severity was stratified (mild/moderate/severe) for subgroup analyses. Untargeted metabolomics identified 787 metabolites, with ethnic comparisons revealing 103 differentially expressed metabolites (91 upregulated in Han children). Key enriched pathways included linoleic acid metabolism (P = 0.002), citric acid cycle (P = 0.008), and unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis (P = 0.015). Stratification by severity revealed distinct signatures: mild caries involved 159 metabolites linked to platelet activation (P = 0.004) and coenzyme A biosynthesis (P = 0.011), while severe caries featured 30 metabolites associated with oxidative phosphorylation (P = 0.006) and cortisol synthesis (P = 0.019). Han children exhibited heightened activity in lipid/energy metabolism pathways compared to Uyghur counterparts. This study reveals Han children’s caries susceptibility linked to disrupted amino acid catabolism (P<0.01) and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Moderate caries lacked metabolite shifts, indicating stage-specific biomarker potential. Ethnic metabolic divergence supports saliva’s diagnostic utility and ethnically tailored prevention. Dysregulated pathways in lipid homeostasis (e.g., citrate cycle, P=0.008) and bioenergetics highlight targeted interventions.