Oral microbial changes and oral disease management before and after the treatment of hematological malignancies: a narrative review

Abstract

Objectives: Patients with hematological malignancies have dynamic changes in oral microbial communities before and after treatment. This narrative review describes the changes in oral microbial composition and diversity, and discusses an oral microbe-oriented strategy for oral disease management.

Materials and methods: A literature search was performed in PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, and Embase for articles published between 1980 and 2022. Any articles on the changes in oral microbial communities in patients with hematological malignancies and their effects on disease progression and prognosis were included.

Results: Oral sample detection and oral microbial sequencing analysis of patients with hematological malignancies showed a correlation between changes in oral microbial composition and diversity and disease progression and prognosis. The possible pathogenic mechanism of oral microbial disorders is the impairment of mucosal barrier function and microbial translocation. Probiotic strategies, antibiotic strategies, and professional oral care strategies targeting the oral microbiota can effectively reduce the risk of oral complications and the grade of severity in patients with hematological malignancies.

Clinical relevance: This review provides dentists and hematologists with a comprehensive understanding of the host-microbe associated with hematologic malignancies and oral disease management advice.

Keywords: Dysbiosis; Hematological malignancies; Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; Oral diseases; Oral microbiome.