Title:Mendelian Randomization Highlights Gut Microbiota of Short-chain Fatty
Acids’ Producer as Protective Factor of Cerebrovascular Disease
Volume: 21
Issue: 1
Author(s): Shihang Luo, Rui Mao*Yi Li*
Affiliation:
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha,
China
- Department of Radiology, The Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest
Jiaotong University, The Second Chengdu Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University, Chengdu, Sichuan
Province, China
Keywords:
Gut microbiota, Mendelian randomization, ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, vascular dementia, subarachnoid hemorrhage, linkage disequilibrium score regression.
Abstract:
Background: Recent research advancements have indicated a potential association
between gut microbiota and cerebrovascular diseases, although the precise causative pathways
and the directionality of this association remain to be fully elucidated.
Objective: This study utilized a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) methodology
to explore the causal impact of gut microbiota compositions on the risk of cerebrovascular
disease.
Methods: Genome-wide Association Study (GWAS) data pertaining to gut microbiota were obtained
from the MiBioGen consortium. For Ischemic Stroke (IS), Transient Ischemic Attack
(TIA), Vascular Dementia (VD), and Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SAH), GWAS summary data
were sourced from the FinnGen consortium, the IEU Open GWAS project, and the GWAS catalog,
respectively.
Results: Our MR analyses identified that specific bacterial strains, notably those involved in the
production of Short-chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs), including Barnesiella, Ruminococcus torques
group, and Coprobacter, serve as protective factors against IS, TIA, and SAH. Linkage Disequilibrium
Score Regression (LDSC) analysis corroborated a significant genetic correlation between
these gut microbiota strains and various forms of cerebrovascular disease. In contrast, reverse
MR analysis failed to establish a bidirectional causal relationship between genetically inferred
gut microbiota profiles and these cerebrovascular conditions.
Conclusion: This investigation has pinpointed particular strains of gut microbiota that play protective
or detrimental roles in cerebrovascular disease pathogenesis. These findings offer valuable
insights that could be pivotal for the clinical management, prevention, and treatment of cerebrovascular
diseases.
