Purpose: This study aimed to determine the relationships among gut microbiota, primary aldosteronism (PA), and related metabolic disorders.Methods: The study enrolled 13 PA patients, 26 sex-matched primary hypertension patients, and 26 sex-matched healthy controls. Demographic and clinical characteristics such as age, body mass index (BMI), blood aldosterone–renin ratio, blood potassium, blood glucose, blood lipid parameters, and history of diabetes mellitus (DM) were compared between the three groups. The gut microbiota of each participant was examined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to demonstrate the relationship between gut microbiota and clinical characteristics.Results: BMI and the percentage of DM in PA patients were higher than those in healthy controls (p < 0.05), but not higher than those in primary hypertension patients (p > 0.05). The gut microbiota of healthy controls and primary hypertension patients had a higher alpha diversity level than that of PA patients. PA patients had fewer short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing genera (Prevotella, Blautia, Coprococcus, Anaerostipes, and Ruminococcus) and more inflammation-associated genera (Megamonas, Sutterella, and Streptococcus) than healthy controls (p < 0.05). The gut microbiota of PA patients was more inclined to encode microbial pathways involved in sugar metabolism, such as starch and sucrose metabolism and fructose and mannose metabolism. Blood potassium was negatively correlated with the relative abundance of Romboutsia (R = −0.364, q = 0.023). Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was positively correlated with Romboutsia (R = 0.386, q = 0.015). Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was negatively correlated with Blautia (R = −0.349, q = 0.030).Conclusions: The alteration of gut microbiota in PA patients, especially bacteria and pathways involved in inflammation, SCFAs, and sugar metabolism, may be associated with chronic metabolic disorders.

Male genital lichen sclerosus (LS), a chronic inflammatory dermatological condition, has been recognized for its profound implications on the quality of life among males. The exact etiological factors behind this prevalent condition remained largely enigmatic. In this research, we employed a multi-omics strategy to identify and elucidate the underlying histological biomarkers and the fundamental pathogenesis associated with male genital LS. A comprehensive cell atlas of male genital LS disease was constructed, highlighting a pronounced increase in T cells and a remarkable reduction in keratinocytes within the male genital LS samples. Further insights elucidated the enhanced crosstalk between fibroblasts and T cells via the collagen-CD44 axis, and between fibroblasts and keratinocytes through the APP-CD74 signaling pathway. This molecular dialogue was implicated in the immune infiltration and hyperkeratosis observed in the dermal-epidermal layer of male genital LS. Subsequently, we integrated single-cell RNA sequencing data with genome-wide association study findings to explore the cell-type-specific genes predisposing to the development of male genital LS. The analysis underscored the pivotal role of GAS1, which was enriched in fibroblasts and implicated in the pathogenesis of male genital LS progression. Collectively, we highlighted the critical role of fibroblasts in initiating male genital LS onset, generating interactions with T cells and keratinocytes, and eliciting the classical histological features of male genital LS.