You are here

The Gut Microbial Metabolite Trimethylamine N-oxide, Incident CKD, and Kidney Function Decline.

TitleThe Gut Microbial Metabolite Trimethylamine N-oxide, Incident CKD, and Kidney Function Decline.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2024
AuthorsWang, M, Tang, WHWilson, Li, XS, Otto, MC de Olive, Lee, Y, Lemaitre, RN, Fretts, A, Nemet, I, Sotoodehnia, N, Sitlani, CM, Budoff, M, DiDonato, JA, Wang, Z, Bansal, N, Shlipak, MG, Psaty, BM, Siscovick, DS, Sarnak, MJ, Mozaffarian, D, Hazen, SL
JournalJ Am Soc Nephrol
Date Published2024 Apr 09
ISSN1533-3450
Abstract<p><b>BACKGROUND: </b>Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is a gut microbiota-derived metabolite of dietary phosphatidylcholine and carnitine. Experimentally, TMAO causes kidney injury and tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Little is known about prospective associations between TMAO and kidney outcomes, especially incident CKD. We hypothesized that higher plasma TMAO levels would be associated with higher risk of incident CKD and greater rate of kidney function decline.</p><p><b>METHODS: </b>We included 10,564 participants from two community-based, prospective cohorts with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73m2 to assess incident CKD. TMAO was measured using targeted mass spectrometry at baseline and one follow-up visit. Creatinine and Cystatin C were measured up to 4 times during follow-up and used to compute eGFR. Incident CKD was defined as an eGFR decline ≥ 30% from baseline and a resulting eGFR<60 ml/min/1.73 m2. Time-varying Cox models assessed the association of serial TMAO measures with incident CKD, adjusting for sociodemographic, lifestyle, diet, and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Linear mixed models assessed the association with annualized eGFR change in 10,009 participants with at least one follow-up eGFR measure without exclusions for baseline eGFR levels.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>During a median follow-up of 9.4 years (interquartile range: 9.1-11.6 years), 979 incident CKD events occurred. Higher TMAO levels associated with higher risk of incident CKD (2nd to 5th vs. 1st quintile HR[95%CI]= 1.65 [1.22-2.23], 1.68 [1.26-2.25], 2.28 [1.72-3.02], and 2.24[1.68-2.98], respectively) and greater annualized eGFR decline ( 2nd to 5th vs. 1st quintile annualized eGFR change= -0.21 [-0.32, -0.09], -0.17 [-0.29, -0.05], -0.35 [-0.47, -0.22], and -0.43[-0.56, -0.30], respectively) with monotonic dose-response relationships. These associations were consistent across different racial/ethnic groups examined. The association with eGFR decline was similar to or larger than that seen for established CKD risk factors including diabetes, per 10 mmHg of higher systolic blood pressure, per 10 years of older age, and Black race.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS: </b>In community-based US adults, higher serial measures of plasma TMAO were associated with higher risk of incident CKD and greater annualized kidney function decline.</p>
DOI10.1681/ASN.0000000000000344
Alternate JournalJ Am Soc Nephrol
PubMed ID38593157
Grant ListR01HL135920 / NH / NIH HHS / United States
P01 HL147823 / NH / NIH HHS / United States
R01HL135920 / NH / NIH HHS / United States
R01 HL103866 / NH / NIH HHS / United States
ePub date: 
24/04