Association between intestinal microbiota and diabetic nephropathy: a two-sample randomization study

Studies have shown alterations in the composition of the intestinal microbiota in diabetic nephropathy (DN), but the correlation remains uncertain.

A two-sample Mendelian randomization (RM) analysis was designed to estimate the association between intestinal microbiota and DN..

Gut microbiota statistics were obtained from a large-scale genome association study involving 18,340 individuals, and species-level data are derived from the TwinsUK Registry study, including 1,126 twin pairs. DN statistics are from the latest version of FinnGen data (R7, 299623 participants).

The MR estimate was calculated using weighted inverse variance, weighted median, MR-Egger regression and MR-PRESSO. Heterogeneity was assessed using the Cochrane Q test.

Inverse variance weighted results indicated that the order of Bacteroidetes and its corresponding class and phylum [odds ratio (OR), 1.58; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.15-2.17], the Verrucomicrobiaceae family and its corresponding class and order (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.14-1.87), the genera Akkermansia (OR, 1. 46; 95% CI, 1.14-1.87) and Catenibacterium (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.07-1.66) could be associated with a higher risk of DN.

Whereas the genera Coprococcus2 (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.51-0.91) and Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group (OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.52-0.92) could play a protective role in the DN.

Conclusions: This MR study suggests that several intestinal bacteria are potentially associated with DN, further studies are needed to validate these results.