Abstract
Background
The gut microbiome plays a significant role in a wide range of diseases, and its regulation is a feasible treatment option for these conditions. Emerging evidence suggests that alterations in the gut microbiota and metabolites may be associated with venous thromboembolism. However, it has yet to be definitively established whether these associations imply a causal relationship.
Methods
To explore the causal effects of the gut microbiota and metabolites on venous thromboembolism, we conducted two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) studies using large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWASs).
Results
We identified five protective causes between the gut microbiota affected by host genetics and venous thromboembolism. These genera included LachnospiraceaeUCG10 ID:11330 (p = 0.036), RuminococcaceaeNK4A214 ID:11358 (p = 0.006), RuminococcaceaeUCG002 ID:11360 (p = 0.007), Sutterella ID:2896 (p = 0.013), and the family Erysipelotrichaceae ID:2149 (p = 0.003). Furthermore, we detected a greater abundance of gut microbiota traits in the phylum Lentisphaerae ID:2238 (p = 0.012), which is a risk factor for venous thromboembolism. We also found twelve positive and fourteen negative relationships between genetic liability in metabolites and venous thromboembolism (all p < 0.05) in terms of plasma metabolites. We did not find any evidence of pleiotropy or heterogeneity in a series of sensitivity analyses.
Conclusion
our MR analyses revealed a causal connection between the gut microbiota, metabolites, and venous thromboembolism. This finding has significant potential for shedding light on the early detection and diagnosis of venous thromboembolism, offering valuable insights into prevention and treatment in this area of research.