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Assessing the Relationship Between Gut Microbiota and Bone Mineral Density
Shiqiang Cheng1, Xin Qi1, Mei Ma1
1Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Endemic Diseases of National Health and Family Planning Commission, School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
Gut microbiota shows a weak link to bone mineral density (BMD). This study used polygenic risk scores to analyze UK Biobank data, finding a suggestive association with pelvis BMD.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Microbiology
- Human Health
Background:
- Gut microbiota significantly impacts complex diseases.
- The relationship between gut microbiota and bone mineral density (BMD) remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between gut microbiota and BMD using a polygenic risk score (PRS) approach.
- To systematically explore potential links between gut microbial composition and bone density.
Main Methods:
- Utilized UK Biobank data from 2,294-5,065 individuals for genotype and BMD measurements.
- Calculated gut microbiota PRS from SNP genotype data using PLINK software.
- Performed Pearson correlation analysis between PRS and BMD values, adjusting for covariates.
Main Results:
- Examined 31 BMD traits for associations with gut microbiota.
- Identified a suggestive association between pelvis BMD and gut microbiota (P = 0.0437) after multiple testing correction.
- Adjusted for age, sex, BMI, and principal components in a linear regression model.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest a weak relevance between gut microbiota and BMD development.
- Further research may be needed to fully elucidate this complex relationship.
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