Assessing causal relationships between gut microbiota and abortion: evidence from two sample Mendelian randomization analysis

Abstract

BackgroundWhile some studies have suggested a link between gut microbiota (GM) and abortion, the causal relationship remains unclear.MethodsTo explore the causal relationship between GM and abortion, including spontaneous abortion (SA) and habitual abortion (HA), we performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. We used summary statistics data from MiBioGen and FinnGen for genome-wide association studies (GWAS), with GM data as the exposure variable and abortion data as the outcome variable.ResultsIn the absence of heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy, the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method identified five genetically predicted GM genera linked to the risk of abortions. Lactococcus was negatively correlated with the risk of SA, whereas the Eubacterium fissicatena group was positively correlated with the risk of SA. Genetic predictions of Coprococcus3 and Odoribacter were linked to a reduced risk of HA, while the Eubacterium ruminantium group was associated with an increased risk of HA.ConclusionOur study suggests a genetic causal relationship between specific GM and two types of abortions, improving our understanding of the pathological relationship between GM and abortion.