Causal effects of gut microbiome on aortic dissection: A mendelian randomization study

Area of Science:

• Microbiome Research
• Vascular Disease Genetics
• Human Health and Disease

Background:

• Aortic Dissection (AD) is a life-threatening vascular condition with a high mortality rate.
• The gut microbiome's role in the chronic development of AD is increasingly recognized.
• Understanding the gut microbiome's influence is crucial for developing novel therapeutic strategies for AD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential causal relationship between specific gut microbiota and Aortic Dissection (AD).
• To identify gut microbial taxa that may confer a protective effect or increase the risk of AD.
• To leverage Mendelian Randomization (MR) for robust causal inference in AD etiology.

Main Methods:

• A two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) approach was utilized.
• Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) data from a Finnish population was analyzed.
• Instrumental variables were derived from Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with 473 gut microbial taxa.

Main Results:

• Several gut bacteria, including Actinomycetales and Prevotella sp002933775, showed a potential protective association with AD.
• Other taxa, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacteroides eggerthii, were identified as potential risk factors for AD.
• Sensitivity analyses confirmed the reliability and robustness of the identified associations.

Conclusions:

• This research highlights specific gut microbial taxa as potential modulators of Aortic Dissection (AD) risk.
• The findings suggest novel avenues for understanding AD pathogenesis and potential microbiome-targeted interventions.
• Further validation in diverse populations is recommended to confirm these gut microbiome-AD associations.