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Distinct gut microbiota profiles in acute vs. chronic sinusitis: potential biomarkers
Hongwei Cao1, Yan Fan2, Hanbing Yu1
1Department of Otolaryngology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110001, China.
Summary
This study explored gut microbiota links to sinusitis using Mendelian randomization. While not all findings were significant after correction, distinct microbial patterns emerged for acute and chronic sinusitis, suggesting areas for future research.
Area of Science:
- Microbiome research
- Genetics
- Otolaryngology
Background:
- The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in host health and immunity.
- Sinusitis, an inflammation of the sinuses, affects a significant portion of the population.
- Understanding the interplay between the gut microbiome and sinusitis is essential for developing novel therapeutic strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential causal relationship between genetically predicted gut microbiota and the risk of developing sinusitis.
- To differentiate microbial associations between acute sinusitis and chronic sinusitis.
Main Methods:
- A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study design was employed.
- Summary data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for 211 gut microbial traits and sinusitis were utilized.
- Inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was the primary analysis, with weighted median, weighted mode, and MR-Egger regression used for robustness checks. Sensitivity analyses included MR-Egger, MR-PRESSO, Cochran's Q, and leave-one-out methods.
Main Results:
- Suggestive associations were found for order Rhodospirillales and family Prevotellaceae with acute sinusitis.
- Genus Subdoligranulum showed a protective association with acute sinusitis.
- For chronic sinusitis, genus Coprobacter was significantly associated, while family Defluviitaleaceae and genus Tyzzerella3 exhibited protective associations.
- Several other taxa showed potential associations, but none remained significant after FDR correction.
- Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the observed findings.
Conclusions:
- This Mendelian randomization study provides exploratory evidence for associations between specific gut microbial taxa and sinusitis subtypes.
- Distinct microbial signatures may be associated with acute versus chronic sinusitis.
- While findings require further validation in larger cohorts, they offer hypotheses for future research into the gut-sinus axis and clinical relevance.
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