AUTHOR=Lyu Beibei , Ma Jinghang , Bai Yongyu , Feng Zhen 

TITLE=Casual effects of gut microbiota on risk of infections: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1284723

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2023.1284723

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Background</title><p>The correlation between gut microbiota and infections has garnered significant attention in previous studies; nevertheless, our understanding of the causal relationships and mechanisms between specific microbial species and infections remains limited.</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Methods</title><p>This study aimed to employ Mendelian randomization (MR) using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and genome-wide association study (GWAS) data of European ancestry to explore the genetic-level relationships between distinct types of gut microbiota and susceptibility to infections. Our analysis encompassed three prevalent infections: intestinal infections, pneumonia, and urinary tract infections, while concurrently examining various types of gut microbiota.</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Results</title><p>We identified 18 protective gut microbiotas alongside 13 associated with increased infection risk. Particularly noteworthy are certain microbial communities capable of producing butyrate, such as the <italic>Ruminococcaceae</italic> and <italic>Lachnospiraceae</italic> families, which exhibited both favorable and unfavorable effects. Additionally, we observed a few certain communities linked to infection susceptibility, including <italic>ErysipelotrichaceaeUCG003</italic> (OR = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.054–0.33, <italic>p</italic> = 1.24E-05), <italic>Collinsella</italic> (OR = 3.25, 95% CI: 2.00–5.27, <italic>p</italic> = 1.87E-06), and <italic>NB1n</italic> (OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.09–1.40, <italic>p</italic> = 1.12E-03).</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Conclusion</title><p>This study reveals complex relationships between gut microbiota and various infections. Our findings could potentially offer new avenues for exploring prevention and treatment strategies for infectious diseases.</p></sec>