How Might the Gut Microbiome Impact Hyperuricemia and Gout?
A recent study evaluated whether there might be a causal relationship between one’s gut microbiota and hyperuricemia.1 The researchers looked at data from genome-wide association studies. They included over 700,000 participants for gout, nearly 300,000 for serum urate, and over 18,000 for gut microbiome.1 They used 2-sample Mendelian randomization analysis and evaluated the results with multiple sensitivity analyses.
The authors found that Escherichia-Shigella showed a positive association with serum uric acid levels.1 Additionally, Lachnospiraceae NC2004 and Family XIII AD3011 actually showed a correlation with reduced risk of hyperuricemia. Lastly, Coprococcus 3 exhibited a causal association with increased risk for gout. Overall, the authors contend that “this study provides evidence for a causal association between gut microbial genera and HUA or gout, and further investigations of the underlying mechanism are warranted.”1
Reference
1. Lou Y, Liu B, Jiang Z, et al. Assessing the causal relationships of gut microbial genera with hyperuricemia and gout using two-sample Mendelian randomization. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2024:S0939-4753(24)00041-3. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2024.01.021. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38403483.