Comparison of the gut microbiome composition between men with Peyronie’s disease and a matched cohort: a pilot study

Abstract Objective: To investigate the potential association of the gut microbiome with Peyronie’s disease, as there has been no research to date that has studied these topics together. The goal of our study is to better characterize any potential relationships and to discuss possible mechanisms in which they would be related. Methods: Stool samples were collected from 12 participants with Peyronie’s disease and 12 age-matched controls. Metatranscriptome sequencing was used to analyze the samples. Results: No significant differences were found in the gut microbiome characteristics, including Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes richness (p=0.541), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes diversity (p=0.134), species richness (p=0.933), and species diversity (p=0.597), between the Peyronie’s disease and control group. Conclusions: The results of this study do not support a significant change in the gut microbiome of men with Peyronie’s disease compared to age-matched controls. Further research is needed to fully understand the impact of the gut microbiome on Peyronie’s disease. Trial Registration Number: IRB 2017-3746