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Abstract Background The causal relationships between testosterone, estradiol, estrogen sulfotransferase, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are not well understood. This study employs a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) approach to explore these associations. Methods All genetic data utilized in our study were obtained from the IEU Open GWAS project. For the MR analysis, we employed the inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, and weighted median methods to assess the causal relationships. We also conducted a multivariate MR (MVMR) analysis, with adjustments made for smoking. To ensure the robustness of our findings, sensitivity analyses were conducted using Cochran’s Q test, MR-Egger regression, the MR-PRESSO global test, and the leave-one-out method. Results Genetically predicted increases in serum testosterone levels by one standard deviation were associated with a 58.7% decrease in the risk of developing IPF (OR = 0.413, PIVW=0.029, 95% CI = 0.187 ∼ 0.912), while an increase in serum estrogen sulfotransferase by one standard deviation was associated with a 32.4% increase in risk (OR = 1.324, PIVW=0.006, 95% CI = 1.083 ∼ 1.618). No causal relationship was found between estradiol (OR = 1.094, PIVW=0.735, 95% CI = 0.650 ∼ 1.841) and the risk of IPF. Reverse MR analysis did not reveal any causal relationship between IPF and testosterone (OR = 1.001, PIVW=0.51, 95% CI = 0.998 ∼ 1.004), estradiol (OR = 1.001, PIVW=0.958, 95% CI = 0.982 ∼ 1.019), or estrogen sulfotransferase (OR = 0.975, PIVW=0.251, 95% CI = 0.933 ∼ 1.018). The MVMR analysis demonstrated that the association between testosterone (OR = 0.442, P = 0.037, 95% CI = 0.205 ∼ 0.953) and estrogen sulfotransferase (OR = 1.314, P = 0.001, 95% CI = 1.118 ∼ 1.545) and the risk of IPF persisted even after adjusting for smoking. Conclusions Increased serum levels of testosterone are associated with a reduced risk of IPF, while increased levels of serum estrogen sulfotransferase are associated with an increased risk. No causal relationship was found between estradiol and the development of IPF. No causal relationship was identified between IPF and testosterone, estradiol, or estrogen sulfotransferase.

In this study, four types of soybean products with different processing methods (soybean meal 1 and soybean meal 2, extruded soybean meal, fermented soybean meal and extruded soybean) were used to examine the effect of fermentation and extrusion on molecular structures of protein and carbohydrate. Extrusion and fermentation significantly decreased (P < 0.05) the values of related protein spectral intensities (height and area of amide and secondary structure) and the biggest reduction was found in extruded soybean compared to soybean meal 1 and soybean meal 2. Compared with extruded soybean meal, the area ratio of amide I to amide II and the height ratio of α-helix to β sheet in extruded soybean were significantly reduced (P < 0.05), and there was no difference in these spectral values between extruded and fermented soybean. Extrusion and fermentation significantly decreased (P < 0.05) the values of carbohydrate spectral intensities, including structural carbohydrate (STCHO) and cellulosic compounds (CELC) and total carbohydrate (CHO), compared to soybean meal 2. The ratio of α-helix to β-sheet was positively related to the DM of soybean degradability in the rumen (P < 0.05, r = 0.590), so was A-CELC to A-STCHO (P < 0.05, r = 0.747). A positive relationship was found between CP degradability in the rumen and the area ratios of amide I and amide II, CELC to CHO, and STCHO to CHO. Spectral intensity of CHO area was negatively associated with neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) degradability in the rumen. The study indicated that extrusion and fermentation could alter the molecular structure of protein and carbohydrate and the degradation characteristics of soybean products in the rumen.