Blood metabolites affect spontaneous abortion: a Mendelian randomization study

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Metabolomics
• Reproductive Health

Background:

• Spontaneous abortion (SA) is a significant concern in reproductive health.
• Understanding the etiological factors of SA is crucial for developing preventative strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential causal relationship between blood metabolites and spontaneous abortion (SA) using Mendelian randomization (MR).

Main Methods:

• Utilized summary-level data from large genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for 824 blood metabolites and SA cases/controls.
• Employed inverse variance-weighted (IVW) analysis and sensitivity analyses to assess metabolite-SA associations.
• Performed metabolic pathway analysis using MetaboAnalyst 5.0.

Main Results:

• Identified eight metabolites associated with SA risk.
• Caproate (6:0), N2, N2-dimethylguanosine, total fatty acids, and ADpSGEGDFXAEGGGVR* showed positive associations with SA.
• Succinylcarnitine, citrate, glycerol, and 1-heptadecanoylglycerophosphocholine exhibited negative associations with SA.
• Glycerolipid metabolism and the citrate cycle (TCA cycle) were identified as relevant metabolic pathways.

Conclusions:

• Blood metabolites may influence the risk of spontaneous abortion.
• The identified metabolites and pathways offer potential targets for understanding SA mechanisms and developing therapeutic interventions.