Abstract
Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are prevalent health concerns in Kuwait
and have been linked to alterations in the oral microbiota. Intragastric balloon (IGB)
therapy offers a minimally invasive method for weight loss in obese individuals, but
its impact on the salivary microbiome remains poorly understood. This study aimed to
evaluate changes in the salivary microbiota composition before and after IGB
treatment. Saliva samples were collected from 22 obese patients undergoing IGB
therapy at a private clinic in Kuwait, with 20 completing the study. Samples were
obtained at baseline and six weeks post-procedure. DNA was extracted and analyzed
using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, focusing on the V1–V3 regions. Microbial
diversity and composition were assessed using QIIME2 and the Phyloseq R package,
and statistical comparisons were made using the Mann–Whitney U-test. Results
showed no significant changes in alpha diversity (observed species, Shannon,
Simpson indices) or beta diversity (PCoA, NMDS based on Bray-Curti’s dissimilarity)
between baseline and follow-up (p > 0.05), suggesting overall microbial stability.
However, significant shifts in the relative abundance of specific taxa were observed,
including changes in Veillonella, Porphyromonas, Neisseria, and species like
Veillonella atypica, Streptococcus infantis, and Prevotella pasteri.
These findings suggest that IGB therapy induces minor shifts in certain microbial taxa
without disrupting overall salivary microbiota diversity. The results underscore the
resilience of the oral microbiome and highlight the less disruptive nature of IGB
compared to more invasive bariatric procedures.