The causal association between gut microbiota and postpartum depression: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND

An escalating body of clinical trials and observational studies hints at a plausible link between gut flora and postpartum depression (PPD). The definitive causal dynamics between these two entities remain shrouded in ambiguity. Therefore, in this study, we employed the two-sample Mendelian randomization approach to ascertain the causal link between gut microbiota and PPD.

METHODS

Summary-level GWAS data related to the human gut microbiota were obtained from the international consortium MiBioGen and the Dutch Microbiome Project (species). For PPD, GWAS data were derived from the FinnGen biobank, consisting 57,604 cases and 596,601 controls. The inverse variance weighted method (IVW) as the cornerstone of our analytical approach. Subsequent to this, a comprehensive suite of tests for pleiotropy and heterogeneity were conducted to ensure the reliability and robustness of our findings.

RESULTS

We identified 12 bacterial taxa associated with the risk of PPD. Veillonellaceae, , , , , , exhibited an inversely associated with the risk of PPD. Alphaproteobacteria, , , , showed a positive correlation with the risk of PPD.

LIMITATIONS

The GWAS data derived from the MiBioGen consortium, DMP, and FinnGen consortium, may introduce selection bias. Moreover, the data primarily originates from European populations, hence extrapolating these results to diverse populations should be approached with caution. The etiological factors behind PPD remain enigmatic, alluding to the existence of potential undisclosed confounders.

CONCLUSION

Based on this MR analysis, we found a causal relationship between certain gut microbial communities and PPD. Future clinical studies can further explore the treatment of PPD through the combined use of microorganisms. This not only offers insights into the pathogenesis of PPD but also lays the foundation for utilizing gut microbiota as biotherapeutics in treating neurological disorders.