Work

Unveiling the Relationship Between Oral Microbiota and Alzheimer's Disease: A Genetic Instrumental Variable Analysis via Mendelian Randomization

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The potential relationship between oral microbiota (OM) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) is increasingly recognized, but the exact causal relationship between them remains uncertain. This study aims to reveal the causal relationship between OM and AD. METHODS: A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach was employed to examine the association between 594 OM exposures and AD outcomes. Effect estimates were derived from external genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics, primarily utilizing inverse-variance weighted (IVW) analysis. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the robustness of the findings. In addition, we genetically mapped SNPs corresponding to OM in the MR analysis to identify genes that may link OM to AD. RESULTS: A total of 48 OM exposures exhibited statistically significant associations with AD outcomes (p ≤ 0.05). Of these, 30 were identified at the genus level, 12 at the species level, and six at the family level. Genetic function analyses indicated that OM-related genes are closely linked to the regulation of neurobiological functions, supporting a potential role for OM in the pathogenesis of AD. CONCLUSION: The findings presented here provide genetic evidence for a causal relationship between OM and AD, offering insights that may guide the future development of prevention and treatment strategies targeting OM in the context of AD.

Source: Brain and Behavior

DOI: 10.1002/brb3.70753

Authors: Zhichao Li, Yihan Kang, Shuai Li, Shiqi Guo, Hui Zheng

Institutions: Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, First Hospital of China Medical University, Beijing Hospital

Language: English

Topic: Oral microbiology and periodontitis research

Subfield: Periodontics

Field: Dentistry

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,630