Association between premature ovarian insufficiency and gut microbiota

Jiaman Wu,Yuanyuan Zhuo,Yulei Liu,Jilong Yao,Yan Chen,Yan Ning

doi:10.1186/s12884-021-03855-w

Abstract

BackgroundPremature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is characterized by impairment of ovarian function on a continuum before the age of 40 years. POI is affected by multiple factors. Considering new insights from recent gut microbiome studies, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between gut microbial community structure and POI.MethodsSubjects were recruited at the Shenzhen Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital. Fecal microbial community profiles of healthy women (n = 18), women with POI (n = 35) were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing based on Illumina NovaSeq platform.ResultsCompared to the controls, the serum levels of FSH, LH, T and FSH/LH ratio significantly increased in women with POI, whereas E2 and AMH decreased significantly. Higher weighted UniFrac value was observed in POI women compared with healthy women. Phylum Firmicutes, genera Bulleidia and Faecalibacterium were more abundant in healthy women, while phylum Bacteroidetes, genera Butyricimonas, Dorea, Lachnobacterium and Sutterella enriched significantly in women with POI. Moreover, these alterations of the gut microbiome in women with POI were closely related to FSH, LH, E2, AMH level and FSH/LH ratio.ConclusionsWomen with POI had altered microbial profiles in their gut microbiome, which were associated with serum hormones levels. These results will shed a new light on the pathogenesis and treatment for POI.

Highlights

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is characterized by impairment of ovarian function on a continuum before the age of 40 years
Overall community structure of POI gut microbiome Sequencing was performed on the V3-V4 regions of 16S rRNA to evaluate the community structure of gut microbiota in women with and without POI
This study aimed to reveal the overall composition of gut microbiota in women with POI

Summary

Introduction

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is characterized by impairment of ovarian function on a continuum before the age of 40 years. Women with POI are faced with increased risk of low chance of natural conception [4, 38], urogenital atrophy [34], decrease in bone mineral density [3], There is ample evidence indicating that ovary is damaged by autoimmunity through alteration of T-cell subsets, T-cell-mediated injury, increasing of autoantibodyproducing B-cells, decreasing of effector suppressor/cytotoxic lymphocytes, and decreasing of natural killer cells [11]. Gut microbiota and its metabolites have the ability to regulate inflammation pathway activation, brain-gut peptide secretion and the destruction of islet β-cell [46, 22] All these studies indicate a relationship may exist between the gut microbiome and POI

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