Vriend Esther M C, Galenkamp Henrike, Herrema Hilde, Nieuwdorp Max, van den Born Bert-Jan H, Verhaar Barbara J H
Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of Internal Medicine, Section Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes. 2024 Dec 19;10(1):152. doi: 10.1038/s41522-024-00628-z.
Sex differences in the gut microbiome have been examined previously, but results are inconsistent, often due to small sample sizes. We investigated sex and menopausal differences in the gut microbiome in a large multi-ethnic population cohort study, including 5166 participants. Using machine learning models, we revealed modest associations between sex and menopausal status, and gut microbiota composition (AUC 0.61-0.63). After adjustments for age, cardiovascular risk factors, and diet, a part of the associations of the highest-ranked gut microbes with sex were attenuated, but most associations remained significant. In contrast, most associations with menopausal status were driven by age and lost significance after adjustment. Using pathway analyses on metagenomic data, we identified sex differences in vitamin B6 synthesis and stachyose degradation pathways. Since some of sex differences in gut microbiome composition and function could not be explained by covariates, we recommend sex stratification in future microbiome studies.
此前已对肠道微生物群中的性别差异进行过研究，但结果并不一致，这通常是由于样本量较小。我们在一项大型多民族人群队列研究中调查了肠道微生物群中的性别和绝经差异，该研究包括5166名参与者。使用机器学习模型，我们揭示了性别和绝经状态与肠道微生物群组成之间存在适度关联（曲线下面积为0.61 - 0.63）。在对年龄、心血管危险因素和饮食进行调整后，排名最高的肠道微生物与性别的部分关联减弱，但大多数关联仍然显著。相比之下，与绝经状态的大多数关联是由年龄驱动的，调整后失去了显著性。通过对宏基因组数据进行通路分析，我们确定了维生素B6合成和水苏糖降解途径中的性别差异。由于肠道微生物群组成和功能中的一些性别差异无法通过协变量来解释，我们建议在未来的微生物群研究中进行性别分层。
