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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microorganisms in Vertebrate Digestive Systems
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1409497

Genetically Predicted the Causal Relationship Between Gut Microbiota and the Risk of Polymyositis/Dermatomyositis: A Mendelian Randomization Analysis

Provisionally accepted
Yanna Niu Yanna Niu 1,2,3Yaochen Zhang Yaochen Zhang 2,3Keyi Fan Keyi Fan 2,3Jialin Hou Jialin Hou 2,3Liu Liu Liu Liu 2,3Heyi Zhang Heyi Zhang 2,3Xinlei Geng Xinlei Geng 2,3Xiyue Ma Xiyue Ma 2,3Shilei Lin Shilei Lin 2,3Meilin Xu Meilin Xu 2,3Xiao-Feng Li Xiao-Feng Li 1,2,3Shengxiao Zhang Shengxiao Zhang 2,3,4*
  • 1 Department of Rheumatology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
  • 2 Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Rheumatism Immune Microecology, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
  • 3 Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology, Ministry of Education, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
  • 4 Department of Rheumatology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Observational studies suggest associations between gut microbiota and polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM), but causal relationships are unclear. We investigate the causal effects of gut microbiota on PM and DM, providing insights hoping to provide insights for future treatment and prevention. Summary statistics of gut microbiota were obtained from a multi-ethnic Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) meta-analysis, including 119 taxa from 18,340 Europeans. PM/DM statistics were extracted from GWAS analyses. Mendelian randomization (MR) with IVW, MR-Egger, and weighted median methods was performed. Sensitivity analyses addressed heterogeneity and pleiotropy. Of the 119 bacterial genera studied, six showed causal links. Alloprevotella (OR: 3.075, 95% CI: 1.127-8.386, P=0.028), Ruminococcaceae UCG003 (OR: 4.219, 95% CI: 1.227-14.511, P=0.022), Dialister (OR: 0.273, 95% CI: 0.077-0.974, P=0.045) were associated with PM. Anaerotruncus (OR: 0.314, 95% CI: 0.112-0.882, P=0.028), Ruminococcaceae UCG002 (OR: 2.439, 95% CI: 1.173-5.071, P=0.017), Sutterella (OR: 3.392, 95% CI: 1.302-8.839, P=0.012) were related to DM. Sensitivity analyses validated these associations. We establish causal relationships between Ruminococcaceae, Sutterella, Anaerotruncus with DM, Alloprevotella, Ruminococcaceae UCG003, and Dialister with PM.Common microbiota, like Ruminococcaceae, have significant clinical implications. These findings open up greater possibilities for the gut microbiota to contribute to the development of PM / DM and for future monitoring of the gut microbiota in patients with PM / DM.

    Keywords: causal relationship, Dermatomyositis, Gut Microbiota, Mendelian randomization, Polymyo sitis

    Received: 19 Apr 2024; Accepted: 05 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Niu, Zhang, Fan, Hou, Liu, Zhang, Geng, Ma, Lin, Xu, Li and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Shengxiao Zhang, Department of Rheumatology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China

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