Metagenomic analysis identified microbiome alterations and pathological association between intestinal microbiota and polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract

Objective: To identify different microbial species in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and reveal a possible relationship between gut dysbiosis and pathological changes. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Academic institution. Patient(s): Reproductive-aged women with PCOS (n ¼ 14) and controls (n ¼ 14) from the Centre for Reproductive Medicine. Intervention(s): Shotgun metagenomic sequencing on fecal samples from patients, and clinical parameters (including body mass index, endocrine hormone levels, and glycemia level) gathered for correlation analysis. Main Outcome Measure(s): Identification of different gut microbial strains and relativity between microbiota and clinical parameters. Result(s): We found several microbial strains were statistically significantly more abundant in the PCOS group, including Parabacteroides merdae, Bacteroides fragilis, and strains of Escherichia and Shigella, whereas Faecalibacterium prausnitzii was enriched in the control group. Metagenomic species (MGS) analysis revealed that the microbes of the PCOS group were negatively correlated with those of the control group. Of note, we observed a positive correlation between MGS relevant to PCOS and endocrine disorders, including body mass index and elevated levels of serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and antim€ ullerian hormone. Functional alterations, reflected by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes orthologues, could imply potential mechanisms of microbial involvement in the developmental progress of PCOS. Conclusion(s): Our findings suggest an intimate association and potential mechanisms linking microbial dysbiosis and the pathophysiologic changes of PCOS. We address the importance of monitoring and modulating microbial composition and functional shifts in future clinical practice. (Fertil Steril Ò 2020;113:1286-98. Ó2020 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.) El resumen está disponible en Español al final del artículo.

16S rDNA Full-Length Assembly Sequencing Technology Analysis of Intestinal Microbiome in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

“…Our data appeared to be similar to those of articles reported by Liu (Liu et al, 2017), Torres (Torres et al, 2018), Zeng (Zeng et al, 2019), Zhang (Zhang et al, 2019), Qi (Qi et al, 2019), and Chu (Chu et al, 2020) in that bacteria from the Bacteroides family showed an increased abundance in patients with PCOS. Here we identified several specific species from Bacteroides that showed a difference in abundance between groups.…”

“…Bacteroides is a major genus in intestinal flora. Several species of Bacteroides are increased or decreased in number in patients with PCOS compared to healthy people in studies by Terros et al, Zeng et al, Qi et al, Liu et al, Zhang et al, and Chu et al (Liu et al, 2017;Torres et al, 2018;Qi et al, 2019;Zeng et al, 2019;Zhang et al, 2019;Chu et al, 2020). Co-abundance groups (CAG) refers to a cluster of bacterial species based on their relative abundance.…”

β-Sitosterol Ameliorates Endometrium Receptivity in PCOS-Like Mice: The Mediation of Gut Microbiota

“…During the past decades, the regulatory roles of gut microbiota on various diseases, including PCOS, have gained increasing attention ( 44 , 45 ). β-sitosterol could improve rumen fermentation in sheep by reducing microbial community and metabolic disorders induced by high grain feed ( 46 ).…”

The emerging role of the gut microbiome in polycystic ovary syndrome

“…More importantly, the administration of B. vulgatus mimics PCOS phenotypes in mice (12). In another metagenomic study, an increased abundance of Bacteroides fragilis was found, and its abundance was positively correlated with luteinizing hormone (LH) and antim€ ullerian hormone levels (25). These studies demonstrated the crucial role of Bacteroides spp.…”