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Updated: Jul 9, 2025
Microbiota Analysis Using Two-step PCR and Next-generation 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing
Published on: October 15, 2019
Exploring the impact of gut microbiota on abdominal aortic aneurysm risk through a bidirectional Mendelian
Xiaoqin Zhou1, Weiqiang Ruan2, Ting Wang3
1Department of Vascular Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China; Research Center of Clinical Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China; Center of Biostatistics, Design, Measurement and Evaluation (CBDME), Department of Clinical Research Management, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China.
Objective:
The abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is associated with alterations in the composition of the gut microbiota; however, the precise causal relationship remains unclear. Elucidating this complex interplay could provide new insights into the pathogenesis of AAA.
Methods:
A bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis was conducted using genome-wide association study summary data on the gut microbiota (n = 18,340) and AAA (n = 353,087). A total of 196 gut microbial taxa across taxonomic levels were examined for their potential causal effects on AAA risk. Conversely, the effect of AAA on these microbial taxa was also analyzed.
Results:
Nine microbial taxa were identified as having a causal influence on AAA risk. Specifically, increased risk were associated with genus Bilophila (odds ratio [OR], 1.359; P = .0119), genus Catenibacterium (OR, 1.348; P = .0058), genus family XIII AD3011 group (OR, 1.507; P = .004), genus Oxalobacter (OR, 1.157; P = .0449), and genus Prevotella 7 (OR, 1.194; P = .0306), whereas decreased risks were linked to class Lentisphaeria (OR, 0.829; P = .0361), order Victivallales (OR, 0.829; P = .0361), family Victivallaceae (OR, 0.814; P = .0057), and genus Anaerotruncus (OR, 0.773; P = .0497). Furthermore, AAA was found to influence the abundance of 14 microbial taxa across various taxonomic levels. Notably, bidirectional associations were observed with the class Lentisphaeria and the order Victivallales.
Conclusions:
This study provides novel evidence for a reciprocal causal relationship between gut microbiota and AAA risk, thereby offering new insights into the pathogenesis of AAA. These findings also suggest promising avenues for microbiome-based therapeutic interventions.
