Mendelian Randomization Reveals a Causal Relationship between the Effects of Gut Microbiota and Progression of CKD

Background: To reveal the causal relationship between gut microbiota and the progression of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) using Mendelian Randomization (MR). Methods: A two-sample MR Analysis combined with Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) data was used to evaluate the potential impact of 195 bacterial groups on CKD progression. Inverse Variance Weighted (IVW) method was used as the main analysis tool. Robustness was verified by weighted median, MR-Egger regression, MR-PRESSO detection and Model-Based Estimation (MBE). The Bonferroni correction method was used to adjust the risk of false positives in multiple comparisons. Results: MR Analysis showed that Desulfovibrionales, Eubacterium eligens, Desulfovibrionaceae, Mucoraceae UCG-002, Proteobacteria, and Clostridium increased significantly with CKD risk (P<0.05). Sensitivity analysis showed that the main MR Analysis results were robust. Conclusion: This study provides evidence of a causal relationship between the gut microbiota and the progression of CKD, and in particular an increased abundance of Desulfovibrionales is associated with an increased risk of CKD. These findings reinforce the important role of gut microbes in the pathogenesis of CKD and provide directions for future research and potential clinical interventions.