Assessing the causal association between sleep apnea and the human gut microbiome composition: A two-sample Mendelian...

Area of Science:

• Microbiome research
• Sleep medicine
• Genetics

Background:

• Gut microbiota dysbiosis is increasingly linked to sleep apnea.
• Previous human studies lacked evidence of a causal relationship.
• Identifying causal links can reveal new therapeutic targets for sleep apnea.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically investigate the causal relationship between human gut microbiota and sleep apnea.
• To identify specific microbial taxa causally associated with sleep apnea.
• To explore potential mechanisms underlying sleep apnea pathophysiology.

Main Methods:

• A two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis was performed.
• Gut microbiome data from 18,340 participants across 24 cohorts were utilized.
• Sleep apnea data were sourced from the Sleep Disorder Knowledge Portal and FinnGen consortium, with sensitivity analyses for robustness.

Main Results:

• Eight microbial taxa initially showed significant associations with the apnea-hypopnea index.
• After meta-analysis with the FinnGen consortium, three taxa remained significantly associated: class Bacilli, order Lactobacillales, and genus RuminococcaceaeUCG009.
• These findings suggest a potential causal link between specific gut bacteria and sleep apnea.

Conclusions:

• Sleep apnea may induce gut dysbiosis, characterized by reduced butyrate-producing and increased lactate-producing bacteria.
• The identified causal links between three microbiome species and sleep apnea provide novel perspectives on the condition's mechanisms.
• Further research integrating genomics and metabolism could elucidate these complex interactions.