The present study elucidated the clinical implications of gut microbiota (GMB) and its metabolites, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN) patients. Fifty patients with primary membranous nephropathy diagnosed by renal biopsy and blood anti-phospholipase A2 receptor antibody test in the Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University were selected as the research group (RG) and 25 healthy volunteers as the control group (CG). The GMB and SCFAs in the feces of the two groups were detected. The results showed that in SCFAs, formic and acetic acids were similar in both cohorts, while propionic and butyric acids were lower in RG compared with CG. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the sensitivity and specificity of SCFAs for predicting the occurrence of IMN were 70 % and 88%, respectively. SCFAs was negatively correlated with urine protein and PLA2R, while positively correlated with plasma albumin. In patients with IMN, there is an obvious evidence of GMB imbalance; moreover, the propionic and butyric acids are notably reduced in SCFA. Therefore, the metabolites of GMB are expected to be the potential markers of membranous nephropathy.