Exploring the potential causal association of gut microbiota on panic and conduct disorder: A two-sample Mendelian...

Gut microbiota has been causally linked with different psychiatric disorders. However, its potential causal association with panic and conduct disorder remains unexplored. Here we used Mendelian randomization to unravel causal association of specific bacterial taxa with these disorders.

We retrieved genomewide association studies' summary-level dataset for gut microbiota (n = 18,340), panic disorder (n = 451,325), and conduct disorder (n = 216,179) from the MiBioGen and FinnGen consortium for two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. We used the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) approach to estimate causal effects complemented by other MR methods. Sensitivity analyses were also carried out to assess the validity of our results.

We detected 15 bacterial taxa with suggestive causal associations. The genera Coprobacter (OR = 1.20, 95%CI = 1.04-1.38; P = 0.011; P_FDR = 0.37), Senegalimassilia (OR = 1.32, 95%CI = 1.05-1.65; P = 0.015; P_FDR = 0.37) and family Rikenellaceae (OR = 1.17, 95%CI = 1.00-1.38; P = 0.046; P_FDR = 0.37) increased the risk of panic disorder while genus Coprococcus (OR = 2.39, 95%CI = 1.16-4.92; P = 0.0179; P_FDR = 0.97) and class Coriobacteriia (OR = 2.20, 95%CI = 1.01-4.77; P = 0.045; P_{FDR =} 0.36) increased the risk of conduct disorder. The other 10 bacterial taxa function as a protective factor as they potentially reduce the risk of the two psychiatric disorders. There was also the absence of horizontal pleiotropy and heterogeneity.

The result of this study may not be generalizable across non-European ancestral populations.

Our study provides a bedrock for future clinical prevention and treatment of these disorders.