Causal relationship between gut microbiota and viral infectious disease: A 2-sample Mendelian randomization study

Area of Science:

• Microbiome research
• Virology
• Genetic epidemiology

Background:

• Gut microbiota dysbiosis is linked to viral infectious diseases (VIDs).
• Understanding the causal relationship between gut microbiota (GM) and VIDs is crucial for developing therapeutic strategies.
• Previous studies have not fully clarified the causal effects between GM and specific VIDs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the causal relationships between gut microbiota composition and five specific viral infectious diseases: adenovirus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), influenza virus subtype H1N1 (H1N1), and herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1).
• To explore the potential of gut microbiota modulation as a therapeutic approach for VIDs.

Main Methods:

• Utilized large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data for gut microbiota and the five VIDs.
• Employed Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis, including MR-Egger, weighted median, and inverse variance weighted (IVW) methods, to assess causal associations.
• Performed sensitivity analyses using MR-Egger regression intercept and Cochran's Q test to ensure the robustness of the findings.

Main Results:

• Identified 9 positive and 14 negative causal effects between genetic liability for gut microbiota and the five VIDs.
• Found specific associations between gut microbial genera and each VID: 6 for adenovirus, 5 for cytomegalovirus, 4 for EBV, 3 for H1N1, and 5 for HSV-1.
• The results suggest a significant interplay between gut microbial composition and susceptibility or response to viral infections.

Conclusions:

• Established causal relationships between gut microbiota and specific viral infectious diseases.
• Provides a pretheoretical basis for exploring gut microbiota transplantation as a potential therapeutic strategy for managing VIDs.
• Highlights the importance of the gut microbiome in the context of viral pathogenesis and offers novel insights for future research and clinical interventions.