title: Metagenomic investigation of microbes and viruses in patients with jaw osteonecrosis associated with bisphosphonate therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this preliminary study was to use metagenomic approaches to investigate the taxonomic diversity of microorganisms in patients with bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ).
  
  
  METHODS
  Samples of saliva for planktonic microbial analysis and biofilm cultivation were collected from 10 patients (5 with BRONJ and 5 non-BRONJ control subjects) who met all ascertainment criteria. Prophage induction experiments-16S rRNA polymerase chain reaction and 454 pyrosequencing-and epifluorescent microscopy were performed for characterization and enumeration of microbes and viruses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three phyla of microbes-Proteobacteria (70%), Firmicutes (26.9%), and Actinobacteria (1.95%)-dominated all BRONJ samples and accounted for almost 99% of the total data. Viral abundance was ∼1 order of magnitude greater than microbial cell abundance and comprised mainly phage viruses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individuals with jaw osteonecrosis harbored different microbial assemblages than nonaffected patients, and in general viral abundance and prophage induction increased with biofilm formation, suggesting that biofilm formation encouraged lysogenic interactions between viruses and microbial hosts and may contribute to pathogenicity.
authors.affiliation: USC Center for Biofilms, Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA. sedghiza@usc.edu
authors.forename: Parish P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Sedghizadeh
authors.forename: Shibu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yooseph
authors.forename: Douglas W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Fadrosh
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zeigler-Allen
authors.forename: Mathangi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thiagarajan
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Salek
authors.forename: Farid
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Farahnik
authors.forename: Shannon J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Williamson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018441:Biofilms; D059266:Bisphosphonate-Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D056186:Metagenomics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S