Microbiota evaluation in acute appendicitis: a preliminary study of appendix and childhood oral microbiota

Despite the uncertainty of the sequence of events leading to appendicitis, the microbiome is presumed to play a central role in the pathogenesis. This preliminary cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the intestinal microbes in distinct phases of acute appendicitis compared to the oral microbiota, considering the status of dental caries. Twenty children under 12 years were assigned into two groups: non-complicated appendicitis (NCA, <i>n</i> = 11) and complicated appendicitis (CA, <i>n</i> = 9). Biological material from the oral cavity (saliva) and appendix (mucosal scrapings) was submitted to microbial analysis to quantify <i>Bacteroidetes</i>, <i>Firmicutes</i>, and <i>Fusobacterium nucleatum</i> by qPCR. Data were assessed using ANOVA and Pearson's correlation (<i>α</i> = 5%). Considering CA, significant differences were found between the mouth and appendix for <i>Bacteroidetes</i>, <i>Firmicutes</i>, and <i>Fusobacterium nucleatum</i> levels (<i>p</i> < 0.05), with increased amounts in the intestinal niche. Conversely, there was no statistical difference (<i>p</i> > 0.05) regarding NCA. <i>Bacteroidetes</i> levels in the intestinal appendix significantly correlate to all of the studied bacteria in the mouth (<i>p</i> < 0.05, <i>r</i> = 0.66-0.89), while in the NCA pattern, this happened only with <i>Bacteroidetes</i>. Caries conditions were similar between the two groups. In conclusion, a relationship is suggested between the intestinal appendix and oral bacteria, in a comparable caries index, in distinct phases of acute appendicitis. The severity of the children's appendix condition seems to correlate with the magnitude of microbial changes.