Study uncovers gender-based difference in microbiomes

KUNMING - Chinese researchers have discovered how men and women differ in their microbiomes, suggesting that the gender-based difference may have an influence on whether one is at risk of some diseases.

Microbiomes refer to a community of microorganisms such as bacteria or fungi living in or on the human body.

Researchers from the Kunming Institute of Zoology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences analyzed microbiomes in 15 sites in or on the body such as skin and found seven out of 15 sites exhibited significant differences between males and females.

The researchers said that many diseases are related to immunity and metabolism in which microbiomes play a significant role. One of the reasons why males are at a higher risk of getting gouty arthritis lies in the difference in gut microbiomes.

Meanwhile, females' microbiomes on the skin are less diversified than those of males, which makes females at a higher risk of skin diseases such as allergic contact dermatitis, they added.

The research has been published in the journal Advanced Science and is expected to provide references and guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of microbiome-related diseases.