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Abstract

Individuals with type 2 diabetes are particularly susceptible to frequent and uncontrolled dental caries. Streptococcus mutans, a main cause of dental caries, impacts millions each year and presents significant oral health challenges. Although extensively studied, the bacterium's pathogenesis remains incompletely understood, underscoring the need for further research. This study aimed to isolate and analyze the molecular characteristics of Streptococcus mutans in patients with type 2 diabetes. It explored the bacterium's capacity to infect, survive, and endure acidic oral environments. Samples were taken from 50 individuals with both type 2 diabetes and dental caries, 50 with dental plaque, and 20 healthy donors. Bacterial identification used Gram staining and 16S rRNA primer-based analysis with primers designed via Geneious Prime software. Virulence factors dexA, ldh, and atpD were also assessed. Thirty Streptococcus mutans samples were found, with 17 from individuals with both diabetes and caries, and 13 from those with caries alone. All isolates carried the dexA gene, 50% had the atpD gene, and 30% had the ldh gene. Four novel isolates from Baghdad, Iraq, were registered as PQ796766, PQ796767, PQ796768, and PQ796769. These findings reveal that Streptococcus mutans exhibits significant virulence and genetic diversity, with identified virulence genes providing insight into its pathogenic mechanisms and suggesting potential strategies for preventing and treating dental caries in diabetic individuals.

Keywords

Acid tolerance, Phylogenetic analysis, 16S rRNA, Streptococcus mutans, Type 2 diabetes

Subject Area

Biology

Article Type

Article

First Page

1515

Last Page

1526

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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