Characteristics of Gut Microbiota in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Across Different Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Types.

BackgroundPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine and metabolic disorder in women of reproductive age, and accumulating evidence suggests that gut microbiota dysbiosis plays an important role in its pathogenesis, although microbiota characteristics across different Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome types remain poorly understood.ObjectiveThis study aimed to analyze the structural differences in intestinal microbiota between patients with PCOS and healthy women. It also sought to characterize the fecal microbiota features across three distinct PCOS subgroups based on TCM syndrome differentiation.Materials and methodsA total of 107 newly diagnosed PCOS patients and 23 healthy controls were recruited. The PCOS cohort was subdivided according to TCM syndromes into liver meridian depression and fire (n=34), spleen deficiency and phlegm-dampness (n=41), and kidney deficiency and blood stasis (n=32). Fecal samples were analyzed by sequencing the V3-V4 regions of the bacterial 16S rDNA gene to assess variations in bacterial species, diversity, and structure.ResultsSignificant differences in gut microbiota were observed. β-diversity indicated greater differences in gut microbial community composition in all PCOS subgroups compared to healthy controls, while α-diversity varied among the TCM subgroups. At the phylum level, Actinobacteria and Cyanobacteria abundances varied across the groups. At the genus level, the PCOS group showed elevated Megamonas. At the species level, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii was lower in the spleen deficiency and phlegm-dampness group, whereas Bacteroides uniformis was more abundant in healthy controls. Functional analysis indicated that differences were primarily related to bacterial metabolism and antibiotic synthesis.ConclusionsThe characteristics of intestinal microbiota vary among PCOS patients with different TCM syndrome types. This finding provides a basis for developing more precise diagnosis and treatment strategies for PCOS within the TCM framework.