A specific tongue microbiota signature is found in patients displaying an improvement of orosensory lipid perception after a sleeve gastrectomy

Introduction A preferential consumption of low-fat foods is reported by most of the patients after a vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG). The fact that a recent study shed light on a relationship between oral microbiota and fat taste sensitivity in obese patients prompted us to explore whether such a connection also exists in the context of a VSG. Methods Thirty-two adult female patients with a severe obesity (BMI = 43.1 ± 0.7 kg/m 2 ) and candidates for a VSG were selected. Oral microbiota composition surrounding the gustatory circumvallate papillae (CVP) and the lipid perception thresholds were explored before and 6 months after surgery. Results VSG was found to be associated both with a qualitative (compositional changes) and quantitative (lower gene richness) remodeling of the peri-CVP microbiota. Analysis of the lipid perception allowed us to distinguish two subgroups: patients with a post-operative improvement of the fat taste sensitivity ( i.e. , with a lower threshold, n = 14) and unimproved patients ( n = 18). Specific peri-CVP microbiota signatures also discriminated these two subgroups, unimproved patient being characterized by higher levels of Porphyromonas, Fusobacterium , and Haemophilus genera associated with lower levels of Atopobium and Prevotella genera as compared to the lipid-improved patients. Conclusion Collectively, these data raise the possibility that the microbial environment surrounding gustatory papillae might play a role in the positive changes of fat taste sensitivity observed in some patients after VSG