AUTHOR=Xiao Qing-Ao , Qin Lei , Yu Jing , Hu Yin-Tao , Ai Lin-Feng , Wang De-Cheng , Xia Xuan , Zhang Xiao-Lin 

TITLE=The causality between gut microbiome and chronic regional pain: a Mendelian randomization analysis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1329521

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2024.1329521

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Background</title><p>Numerous investigations have underscored the causal effect between chronic pain (CP) and gut microbiota, jointly contributing to the onset and development of widespread CP. Nonetheless, there was still uncertainty about the causal effect between gut microbiota and chronic regional pain (CRP).</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Methods</title><p>Genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data of gut microbial taxa (MiBioGen Consortium: 211 microbiotas and the Dutch Microbiome Project: 207 microbiotas) and eight types of CRP were used to reveal the causal effect between persistent pain in a specific region of the body and gut microbiota. A two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) design was used. In order to ensure the accuracy of the results, multiple sensitivity analyses were employed.</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Results</title><p>This study uncovered significant causal associations between six gut microbial taxa and three types of CRP (forward: <italic>Genus Parabacteroides</italic> for general pain; <italic>Class Bacteroidia</italic>, <italic>Order Bacteroidales,</italic> and <italic>Phylum Bacteroidetes</italic> for back pain. Reverse: knee pain for <italic>Genus Howardella</italic> and <italic>Order Coriobacteriales</italic>) by forward and reverse MR analysis. These findings had been verified by a rigorous Bonferroni correction. Furthermore, this research identified 19 microbial taxa that exhibited potential correlations with four types of CRP. There are no significant or potential gut microbiotas that were associated with other types of CRP, including fascial pain, stomach or abdominal pain, and hip pain.</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Conclusion</title><p>This two-sample bidirectional MR analysis unveiled the causality between gut microbial taxa and eight CRP conditions. The findings reveal the interplay between CRP and 6 gut microbiotas while also delineating 19 potential specific microbial taxa corresponding to diverse locations of persistent pain.</p></sec>