Association between Serum Uric Acid Levels and Salivary Microbiota in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

The microbiota is associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and hyperuricemia (HUA), but the relationship between oral microbiota and OSA-related HUA remains unclear. Our study investigated salivary microbiota differences between individuals with OSA and those with both OSA and HUA, and explored the link between oral microbiome alterations and uric acid fluctuations in OSA patients. Seventy-two adults were divided into four groups: controls (n = 20, 33.75 ± 9.46 years), OSA (n = 23, 44.08 ± 13.70 years), OSA with comorbid HUA (OSA+HUA, n = 22, 40.18 ± 9.58 years), and OSA with medication-controlled HUA (n = 7, 44.56 ± 15.14 years). Salivary microbiota and proteomic profiles were analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing and Astral DIA. OSA and OSA+HUA showed reduced alpha-diversity compared to controls. The OSA+HUA group had increased Oribacterium abundance relative to the OSA group, which decreased after uric acid treatment, whereas Rothia, Capnocytophaga, and Aggregatibacter showed the opposite trend. 104 differentiated proteins were identified between the OSA and OSA+HUA groups. Oribacterium was positively correlated with several antioxidant proteins, while the other three genera were negatively correlated. This study identifies non-invasive biomarkers in the OSA+HUA group, as the first of its kind, highlighting the role of oral microbiota in future research and therapies.