A study on the causal relationship between the gut microbiome and herpes zoster using Mendelian randomization

Area of Science:

• Microbiome research
• Infectious disease epidemiology
• Genetic association studies

Background:

• Herpes zoster (HZ) has high global incidence, often linked to aging and immune status.
• Increased HZ incidence in inflammatory bowel diseases suggests a gut-related etiology.
• Previous research did not explore the gut microbiome's role in HZ recurrence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential causal relationship between the gut microbiome and herpes zoster (HZ).
• To explore the bidirectional nature of this interaction using genetic data.
• To identify specific gut microbial taxa associated with HZ onset and recurrence.

Main Methods:

• Utilized large-scale Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) databases (FinnGen, Mibiogen).
• Employed two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to assess causality.
• Conducted bidirectional MR analyses to determine the direction of the relationship.

Main Results:

• Identified genus Tyzzerella3 and phylum Cyanobacteria as potential risk factors for HZ reactivation.
• Found that HZ onset may inhibit the Eubacterium hallii group.
• Observed potential protective effects from genus Escherichia/Shigella, genus Veillonella, and phylum Proteobacteria.

Conclusions:

• Established the gut microbiome as a novel factor influencing HZ reactivation.
• Demonstrated a potential bidirectional relationship where HZ may also affect gut flora composition.
• Highlighted specific bacterial taxa as potential therapeutic targets for HZ management.