Causal effects of gut microbiota on risk of overactive bladder symptoms: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study

• Published in: Frontiers in microbiology Vol. 15; p. 1459634
• Main Authors: Shen, Chaodong, Fang, Mengjie, Zhang, Xiaolong, Zhu, Zhirong, Chen, Jiajian, Tang, Guiliang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 2024
• Subjects: causal relationship; gut microbiota; Mendelian randomization; overactive bladder; urinary incontinence; Mendelian randomization; causal relationship; overactive bladder; urinary incontinence; gut microbiota
• ISSN: 1664-302X; 1664-302X
• DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1459634

Clinical observations indicate a correlation between the gut microbiota and overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms. Nevertheless, the causal relationship and mechanisms between gut microbiota and OAB symptoms remain elusive. Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were performed to assess the association between gut microbiota and OAB symptoms, including urinary incontinence (UI). Data were obtained from the MiBioGen International Consortium genome-wide association studies (GWAS) dataset and the IEU GWAS database. The inverse variance weighted method was used as the primary approach in the MR analysis, with the weighted median, MR-Egger, and weighted mode methods as supplementary approaches. Sensitivity analyses were employed to assess potential violations of the MR assumptions. Our analysis identified seven gut bacterial taxa with a causal relationship to OAB and nine gut bacterial taxa associated with UI. Genera , , and were identified as protective factors against OAB, while genera , , and were associated with an increased risk of OAB. A higher abundance of the genus , order Burkholderiales, and phylum Verrucomicrobia predicted a lower risk of UI. Conversely, the class Mollicutes, genus group, order Mollicutes RF9, and phylum Firmicutes and Tenericutes were positively correlated with UI risk. The sensitivity analysis excluded the influence of potential heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy. This study revealed a causal relationship between gut microbiota and OAB symptoms, providing new insights and a theoretical foundation to identify biomarkers and therapeutic targets for patients with OAB symptoms.