Zhang Han, Gong Jinhua, Xu Kunpeng, Dang Zixian, Shang Zhen, Chen Guanhong, Feng Haotian, Zhang Yuying, Zhang Yingze, Yu Tengbo, He Jianquan, Hong Wenxin, Zhang Yongtao
Department of Orthopedics, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China.
Qingdao University Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao, 266000, China.
Metabolomics. 2025 Mar 27;21(2):45. doi: 10.1007/s11306-025-02244-0.
Research gaps persist in understanding the interactions between serum 25 (OH)D levels, intestinal fungi, and their metabolites in postmenopausal women.
This study, approved by the Ethics Committee of Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, recruited postmenopausal women from Xiamen. Clinical assessments included Body Mass Index (BMI) calculations and blood tests for various bone-related markers using Roche's electrochemiluminescence system. Bone density was measured via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Fecal DNA was extracted for Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequencing with a two-stage PCR process and analyzed using high-throughput Illumina sequencing. Metabolites were extracted from fecal samples and analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography combined with mass spectrometry. Statistical analyses and data visualization were performed using R, focusing on fungal community structure and correlations with metabolites.
The study analyzed 81 postmenopausal women, categorized into vitamin D deficient (VDD), insufficient (VDI), and sufficient (VDS) groups based on serum 25 (OH)D levels. Other health markers, including age and BMI, were consistent across groups. Notably, Linear discriminant analysis identified distinct fungal communities across VDD, VDI, and VDS groups. In the VDD group, notable fungi included Hanseniaspora occidentalis and Pichia. The VDI group showed enrichment of Candida, while the VDS group had higher abundances Such as Phanerochaete, and Nectriaceae. Alpha diversity metrics, such as the Chao1 index, differed significantly among the groups (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis (Spearman) revealed that fungi like Trichosporon and Penicillium positively associated with 25 (OH)D3, whereas fungi such as Cystofilobasidium were negatively correlated with bone mineral density (BMD). Metabolites like Glutaric acid positively correlated with 25 (OH)D3, while L-Citrulline and Deoxycholic acid were negatively correlated. Additionally, Argininosuccinic acid correlated positively with BMD, whereas Acamprosate and p-Hydroxyphenylacetic acid were negatively associated.
In postmenopausal women, fungal community composition varies significantly with vitamin D status, potentially correlating with serum 25 (OH)D levels and BMD, indicating that specific fungal species may be relevant for therapeutic strategies with osteoporosis and offering insights into the broader bone health effects of vitamin D.
在理解绝经后女性血清25（OH）D水平、肠道真菌及其代谢产物之间的相互作用方面，研究空白依然存在。
本研究经厦门大学附属中山医院伦理委员会批准，招募了来自厦门的绝经后女性。临床评估包括计算体重指数（BMI），并使用罗氏电化学发光系统对各种骨相关标志物进行血液检测。通过双能X线吸收法测量骨密度。采用两阶段PCR法提取粪便DNA进行内转录间隔区（ITS）测序，并使用高通量Illumina测序进行分析。从粪便样本中提取代谢产物，通过超高效液相色谱结合质谱进行分析。使用R软件进行统计分析和数据可视化，重点关注真菌群落结构及其与代谢产物的相关性。
该研究分析了81名绝经后女性，根据血清25（OH）D水平分为维生素D缺乏（VDD）、不足（VDI）和充足（VDS）组。其他健康指标，包括年龄和BMI，在各组间保持一致。值得注意的是，线性判别分析确定了VDD、VDI和VDS组之间不同的真菌群落。在VDD组中，显著的真菌包括西方汉逊酵母和毕赤酵母。VDI组显示念珠菌富集，而VDS组中诸如显革菌属和肉座菌科的丰度更高。Chao1指数等α多样性指标在各组间存在显著差异（p < 0.05）。相关性分析（Spearman）显示，丝孢酵母属和青霉属等真菌与25（OH）D3呈正相关，而诸如囊酵母属等真菌与骨密度（BMD）呈负相关。戊二酸等代谢产物与25（OH）D3呈正相关，而L-瓜氨酸和脱氧胆酸呈负相关。此外，精氨琥珀酸与BMD呈正相关，而阿坎酸和对羟基苯乙酸呈负相关。
在绝经后女性中，真菌群落组成随维生素D状态显著变化，可能与血清25（OH）D水平和BMD相关，这表明特定真菌物种可能与骨质疏松症的治疗策略相关，并为维生素D对更广泛的骨骼健康影响提供了见解。
