Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Analysis to Study the Relationship Between Human Skin Microbiota and Radiation-Induced Skin Toxicity

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Radiation-induced skin toxicity, resulting from ionizing or nonionizing radiation, is a common skin disorder. However, the underlying relationship between skin microbiota and radiation-induced skin toxicity remains largely unexplored. Herein, we uncover the microbiota–skin interaction based on a genome-wide association study (GWAS) featuring 150 skin microbiota and three types of skin microenvironment. Summary datasets of human skin microbiota were extracted from the GWAS catalog database, and summary datasets of radiation-induced skin toxicity from the FinnGen biobank. Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis was leveraged to sort out the causal link between skin microbiota and radiation-induced skin toxicity. We identified 33 causal connections between human skin microbiota and radiation-induced skin toxicity, including 19 positive and 14 negative causative directions. Among these potential associations, the genus Staphylococcus could serve as a common risk factor for radiation-induced skin toxicity, especially for radiodermatitis. And Streptococcus salivarius was identified as a potential protective factor against radiation-induced skin toxicity. Additional analysis indicated no pleiotropy, heterogeneity, or reverse causal relationship in the results. We comprehensively assessed potential associations of skin microbiota with radiation-induced skin toxicity and identified several suggestive links. Our results provide promising targets for the prevention and treatment of radiation-induced skin toxicity.