Causal relationships between gut microbiota and lymphoma: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study

Abstract

BackgroundMultiple studies have suggested a possible connection between the gut microbiota and the development of lymphoma, though the exact nature of this relationship remains unclear. This study aimed to explore whether a causal association exists between gut microbiota and lymphoma.MethodsA bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach was conducted to investigate potential causal effects between gut microbiota and various lymphoma subtypes. The primary method employed for MR analysis was inverse variance weighted (IVW), supplemented by additional methods including MR-Egger, weighted median, and weighted mode approaches. The Cochrane Q test, MR-PRESSO global test and MR-Egger intercept test were performed to assess pleiotropy and heterogeneity. Furthermore, a reverse MR analysis was performed to explore potential reverse causal effect.ResultsThe primary MR analysis identified 36 causal relationships between genetic liabilities in gut microbiota and different lymphoma subtypes. Neither the MR-PRESSO test nor the MR-Egger regression detected any pleiotropy, and Cochran’s Q test indicated no significant heterogeneity.ConclusionsOur MR analysis revealed substantial causal associations between gut microbiota and lymphoma, offering new insights into lymphoma prevention and management microbiota.