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PubMed2026

Immunological, Inflammatory, and Microbiota Determinants of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Evidence from Mendelian Randomization.

INTRODUCTION: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a common peripheral neuropathy, and immune dysregulation and microbial dysbiosis are believed to play a role in its development. However, the cause-and-effect relationships have yet to be clarified. METHODS: Using publicly available Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS), there are 731 immune cell phenotypes, 91 inflammatory proteins, 150 skin microbiota taxon, and 473 gut microbiota taxon based on two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis to test whether there is a causal relationship between them and CTS. The results from the study were shown to have some degree of stability as demonstrated by various sensitivity analyses, which included running heterogeneity tests, performing MR -PRESSO, and running MR-Egger regressions. On the other hand, reverse MR was performed to verify the direction of the association. In addition, a two-step MR mediation analysis was conducted to explore whether there was a mediation effect of gut microbiota and skin microbiota, respectively, of immune and inflammatory traits on CTS. RESULTS: 22 Immune cell traits, 4 Inflammatory proteins, 18 gut microbiota taxa, and 3 skin microbiota taxa are causally associated with CTS. Reverse MR suggested feedback effects of CTS on select immune traits and gut microbiota. Mediation analysis revealed 4 gut microbiota taxa that substantially mediated immune/inflammatory effects upon CTS, with mediation rates as high as 44%; however, skin microbiota did not demonstrate any mediation. DISCUSSION: The immune dysregulation, inflammation, and the gut microbiota that cause CTS are all revealed through this research. Mendelian randomization analysis suggests that traits and inflammatory proteins of immune cells directly increase the risk of CTS, and certain types of gut microbes partially mediate these effects. Therefore, the results show a central role of the immune-gut axis in CTS pathogenesis, and suggest a systemic, rather than a local, immune-microbial interaction in disease development. CONCLUSION: We provided the first causal evidence that immune cells, inflammatory proteins, and CTS risk are causally associated with some specific taxa of gut microbiota. This contributes to a better understanding of the immune-microbiome interactions in the process of occurrence and development of CTS, and also provides theoretical support for precision prevention and treatment.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Identifying potential drug targets for physical and cognitive frailty: an integrative analysis of CHARLS cohort, mendelian randomization, and gene colocalization.

With the aging of the population, frailty has become a common syndrome that severely affects the quality of life of older adults. This study aims to analyze the correlation between cognition and frailty, physical activity and frailty, and elucidate the potential pharmacological targets of cognitive frailty and physical frailty.We conducted logistic regression analyses using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) to examine the associations between total cognition and frailty, physical activity and frailty. Furthermore, summary-data-based Mendelian randomization (SMR) and two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) were employed to explore potential pharmacological targets for frailty. Genes associated with physical frailty and cognitive frailty were identified, followed by analysis via colocalization analysis, phenome-wide association studies (PheWAS), and DsigDB drug prediction. Cross-sectional analysis of CHARLs revealed that total cognition(OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.92-0.95) and middle physical activity(OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.92-0.97) were negatively correlated with frailty. SMR identified 41 drug genes associated with frailty, and subsequent TSMR validation and co-localization analysis showed that 11 candidate genes exhibited strong colocalization (PP.H4 > 0.8). GRPEL 1, PABPC 4, and WBP 2NL were ultimately identified as potential drug targets associated with physical frailty, while LANCL1, LRPPRC, FADS1, and WBP2NL were identified as potential drug targets associated with cognitive frailty. Phenome-wide association analysis(PheWAS) did not reveal any significant associations between these genes and other phenotypes at the genome-wide significance threshold. Laudanosine, 25-hydroxycholesterol, and hexadecanal emerged as the top three candidate compounds for therapeutic intervention. We identified potential drug targets for physical frailty and cognitive frailty through comprehensive analysis and elucidated drugs associated with potentially relevant genetic markers, thereby laying the foundation for a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of frailty.

Humans↗

PubMed2024

The causal relationship between genetically predicted blood metabolites and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: A bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Numerous metabolomic studies have confirmed the pivotal role of metabolic abnormalities in the development of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Nevertheless, there is a lack of evidence on the causal relationship between circulating metabolites and the risk of IPF. METHODS: The potential causality between 486 blood metabolites and IPF was determined through a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) analysis. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 7,824 participants was performed to analyze metabolite data, and a GWAS meta-analysis involving 6,257 IPF cases and 947,616 control European subjects was conducted to analyze IPF data. The TSMR analysis was performed primarily with the inverse variance weighted model, supplemented by weighted mode, MR-Egger regression, and weighted median estimators. A battery of sensitivity analyses was performed, including horizontal pleiotropy assessment, heterogeneity test, Steiger test, and leave-one-out analysis. Furthermore, replication analysis and meta-analysis were conducted with another GWAS dataset of IPF containing 4,125 IPF cases and 20,464 control subjects. Mediation analyses were used to identify the mediating role of confounders in the effect of metabolites on IPF. RESULTS: There were four metabolites associated with the elevated risk of IPF, namely glucose (odds ratio [OR] = 2.49, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] = 1.13-5.49, P = 0.024), urea (OR = 6.24, 95% CI = 1.77-22.02, P = 0.004), guanosine (OR = 1.57, 95%CI = 1.07-2.30, P = 0.021), and ADpSGEGDFXAEGGGVR (OR = 1.70, 95%CI = 1.00-2.88, P = 0.0496). Of note, the effect of guanosine on IPF was found to be mediated by gastroesophageal reflux disease. Reverse Mendelian randomization analysis displayed that IPF might slightly elevate guanosine levels in the blood. CONCLUSION: Conclusively, hyperglycemia may confer a promoting effect on IPF, highlighting that attention should be paid to the relationship between diabetes and IPF, not solely to the diagnosis of diabetes. Additionally, urea, guanosine, and ADpSGEGDFXAEGGGVR also facilitate the development of IPF. This study may provide a reference for analyzing the potential mechanism of IPF and carry implications for the prevention and treatment of IPF.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Two-sample Mendelian randomization study of gut microbiota and inflammatory proteins: Predictive, preventive, and personalized treatment for migraine.

The human gut microbiota is increasingly recognized as a significant factor in the pathogenesis of migraine, potentially via inflammatory pathways. Identifying specific human gut microbiota components associated with migraines, along with the investigation of particular inflammatory proteins, is essential for advancing primary prediction, targeted prevention, and personalized treatment strategies for migraines. We conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization study using publicly available summary statistics from genome-wide association studies. Data for 473 human gut microbiota taxa were obtained from the Finnish national health survey conducted by the National Institute for Health and Welfare study (FINRISK, n = 5959 European participants). Genome-wide association study data (https://www.ebi.ac.uk/gwas/) for 91 circulating inflammatory proteins were obtained from 14,824 participants across 11 cohorts using the Olink Target 96 Inflammation panel. Migraine outcome data were obtained from the FinnGen R12 release, with cases defined using ICD-10 code G43. All genome-wide association study analyses were adjusted for sex, age, genotyping batch, and 10 genetic principal components to control population stratification (genomic inflation factors: 1.00–1.05). Inverse variance-weighted Mendelian randomization was the primary analysis method, with Mendelian randomization-Egger, weighted median, and mode-based methods as sensitivity analyses. Two-step Mendelian randomization mediation analysis quantified the proportion of the effects of human gut microbiota on migraine that are mediated through inflammatory proteins. Thirty-seven bacterial genera were found to be associated with migraine using the inverse variance-weighted method. Of these, 18 genera exhibited a negative association, while 19 genera demonstrated a positive association with migraine risk. Additionally, eight inflammatory proteins were found to increase the risk of migraine. Among human gut microbiota, four were observed to reduce inflammatory protein levels, whereas another four were associated with increased inflammatory protein levels. Additionally, five gut microbiota were identified to influence migraine through inflammatory proteins in both Mendelian randomization analyses. Specifically, Actinobacteria, Brachyspiraceae, CAG-269 sp001915995, and Paraglaciecola were found to affect migraine outcomes via inflammatory proteins, with mediation proportions of 12%, 19%, 15.5%, and 6.7%, respectively. Lawsonibacter sp002161175 was identified to influence migraine risk through Oncostatin-M and SLAM, with mediation proportions of 15.6% and 11.3%, respectively. Our study elucidated the role of specific human gut microbiota alterations in the pathogenesis of migraine and highlighted the mediating effects of inflammatory proteins. Targeting these particular human gut microbiota alterations offers a promising strategy for predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine in migraine management, resulting in substantial clinical advancements.

causality↗

PubMed2026

Bayesian Mendelian randomization reveals a protective effect of later age at first sexual intercourse against erectile dysfunction.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a prevalent health condition with significant psychosocial impacts, yet the causal role of age at first sexual intercourse (AFS) remains unclear. This study investigated the causal effect of AFS on the risk of ED using Mendelian randomization (MR) and Bayesian methods. Five traditional 2-sample MR analyses and 5 Bayesian MR analyses were performed using genome-wide association studies summary statistics from European populations. Sensitivity analyses included MR Egger regression, MR-pleiotropy residual sum and outlier, and Cochran Q-test. In mixed-sex cohorts (Groups 1 and 2), inverse variance weighted results demonstrated significant protective effects: odds ratio (OR) = 0.626, θ = -0.469, P = 2.73 × 10-6 for Group 1 and OR = 0.617, θ = -0.483, P = 3.56 × 10-5 for Group 2. The analyses for male-specific cohorts (Groups 3-10) showed weaker but consistent effects. For Group 3, OR = 0.643, θ = -0.442, P = .010. For Group 4, some instrumental variables associated with confounders were removed. The result became statistically insignificant: OR = 0.680, θ = -0.385, P = .064. For Group 5, the instrument selection criteria were relaxed and significance was retained: OR = 0.695, θ = -0.364, P = .016. For Groups 6 to 10, Bayesian MR was used to strengthen the inferences. In particular, for Group 8, which has a strongly informed prior, a posterior mean θ = -0.358 and a 95% credible interval (-0.575, -0.136) were obtained. This study provides evidence supporting a causal protective effect of later AFS on ED risk. While traditional MR analyses in male-specific cohorts yielded suggestive results, Bayesian MR analyses, which allow for the integration of prior evidence, provided more precise estimates and strengthened the causal inference. These findings may inform future sexual health policies. Strengths include the use of male-specific cohorts and Bayesian enhancement for weak instruments. Limitations include reliance on European-ancestry data and inability to stratify ED subtypes.

Male↗

PubMed2025

Identifying key palmitoylation-associated genes in endometriosis through genomic data analysis.

BACKGROUND: Palmitoylation, a post-translational lipid modification, has garnered increasing attention for its role in inflammatory processes and tumorigenesis. Emerging evidence suggests a potential association between palmitoylation and inflammatory responses in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. However, the precise mechanistic interplay remains elusive, necessitating further investigation. METHODS: This study integrated transcriptomic analysis and Mendelian randomization (MR) to identify a causal gene set implicated in endometriosis. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were first identified in the training dataset using the limma package in R. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was subsequently performed, leveraging Single Sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA)-derived scores of palmitoylation-related genes (PRGs) as phenotypic traits to identify key modular genes. The intersection of these key modular genes with DEGs yielded a refined gene set. Machine learning algorithms were then applied to further optimize gene selection, followed by external validation, immune infiltration analysis, RNA network construction, and exploration of potential targeted drug candidates. RESULTS: Through a rigorous screening process, VRK1, GALNT12, and RMI1 emerged as key genes associated with palmitoylation, exhibiting significant downregulation in endometriosis samples (P < 0.05), indicative of a potential protective role. Immune infiltration analysis further revealed strong correlations between these genes and M2 macrophages as well as resting Natural Killer (NK) cells. Additionally, investigations into the targeted RNA network and drug association profiling provided novel insights, laying the groundwork for future high-quality validation studies. CONCLUSIONS: This study employed a comprehensive analytical framework to identify palmitoylation-associated key genes in endometriosis. The integration of immunoinfiltration analysis, RNA network construction, and drug association profiling offers valuable insights for advancing clinical diagnostics, disease monitoring, and therapeutic development in endometriosis.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Cross-tissue multi-omics integration highlights BPHL and mitochondrial targets in Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet specific molecular targets remain to be fully characterized. METHODS: A summary-data-based Mendelian randomization (SMR) framework integrated AD genome-wide association study (GWAS) statistics (39,918 cases) with blood DNA methylation quantitative trait loci (mQTL), gene expression (eQTL), and protein (pQTL) data for 1136 mitochondria-related genes. Associations were assessed using Bayesian colocalization and HEIDI testing. Tissue relevance was evaluated in four brain regions (hippocampus, amygdala, cortex, frontal cortex) using GTEx and external transcriptomic datasets. RESULTS: Screening identified eight candidates supported across blood mQTL and eQTL layers. Stepwise central nervous system (CNS) evaluation singled out biphenyl hydrolase-like (BPHL) as the consistent candidate. Higher genetically predicted BPHL expression was associated with reduced AD risk across the hippocampus (OR=0.920, 95% CI 0.873-0.970), amygdala (OR=0.925, 95%CI 0.880-0.973), cortex (OR=0.943, 95% CI 0.908-0.978), and frontal cortex (OR=0.938, 95%CI 0.901-0.976). These findings aligned with protein-protein interactions connecting BPHL to respiratory complexes and lower BPHL expression in independent AD brains. Functional enrichment converged on oxidative phosphorylation pathways. CONCLUSIONS: By integrating multi-omics data with tissue-specific validation, this study nominates BPHL as a consistent protective candidate in the brain. These findings provide genetic support for mitochondrial molecular perturbations in AD, offering insights for future validation.

Alzheimer Disease↗

PubMed2026

Plasmacytoid dendritic cell-mediated L-glutamate catabolism links gut microbiota to male infertility.

Emerging evidence suggests that gut microbiota composition influences male reproductive health; however, the immunometabolic mechanisms underlying this association remain insufficiently characterized. We investigated whether specific immune cell-mediated metabolic pathways, particularly plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC)-driven L-glutamate catabolism via the hydroxyglutarate pathway, contribute to the causal link between gut microbiota and male infertility. We conducted a 2-sample, 2-step Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using inverse-variance weighting as the primary estimator and Bayesian weighted MR for robustness. Exposure data comprised 412 gut microbial taxa/metabolic pathways and 731 immune cell phenotypes from large European-ancestry genome-wide association studies. Male infertility genome-wide association studies data (1429 cases; 128,710 controls) were obtained from FinnGen R10. Only exposure-mediator-outcome pairs meeting stringent pleiotropy, heterogeneity, and reverse-causality criteria were retained for mediation analysis. Nine microbial taxa/metabolic pathways and 18 immune traits exhibited putative causal associations with male infertility. The L-glutamate degradation V pathway via hydroxyglutarate was linked to reduced infertility risk (inverse-variance weighting odds ratio [OR] = 0.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.52-0.89; P = .005). Two-step MR suggested that forward scatter area on pDCs may mediate this association, although the mediation effect was imprecise (effect = 0.0277; 95% confidence interval, -0.0348 to 0.0903). This study provides suggestive genetic evidence that pDC-mediated glutamate catabolism may connect gut microbial metabolic activity to male infertility. These findings highlight immunometabolic pathways as testable targets for mechanistic validation and microbiota-directed interventions.

Male↗

PubMed2025

The causal relationship between antihypertensive drugs and knee osteoarthritis: A drug target Mendelian randomization study.

Recently studies have revealed a robust association between hypertension and knee osteoarthritis (KOA), with patients likely to suffer from both conditions. We employed Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to assess the impact of antihypertensive medications on KOA, aiming to offer clinical guidance for concomitant drug therapy and identify potential therapeutic targets for KOA. We obtained exposure instruments (instrumental variables) by locating Single-nucleotide polymorphisms related to systolic blood pressure near drug target genes. We then conducted Mendelian randomization analyses between the exposure data and genome-wide association studies data on KOA to evaluate the impact of antihypertensive drugs on KOA. We observed a significant association between decreased expression of the SLC12A2 target gene and a reduced risk of KOA (odds ratio: 0.915, 95% confidence interval: 0.869-0.964, P < .001). In this study, we find that SLC12A2 inhibitors can have a beneficial effect on KOA, and that the SLC12A2 gene may be a potential therapeutic target for KOA. These findings suggest that when treating patients with both hypertension and KOA, clinicians may consider prioritizing the use of SLC12A2 inhibitors.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Genetic evidence for causality of late chronotype on metabolic syndrome in East Asians and Europeans.

CONTEXT: The impact of chronotype-defined as an individuals' inherent preference of sleep timing-and its genetic determinants on metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been less studied. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the causal relationship between late chronotype and MetS using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis, based on data from the Taiwan Biobank (TWB) and parallel analyses in the UK Biobank (UKB). METHODS: A total of 36,845 participants from TWB served as the discovery cohort, and 235,639 participants from UKB served as the replication cohort. Late chronotype was defined in TWB as a preference for bedtime after midnight, and in UKB as self-report as being an 'evening' person. The association between late chronotype and MetS, along with its components, was evaluated in TWB, and validated in UKB. Genome-wide association analyses for late chronotype were first conducted in TWB and then meta-analyzed with UKB. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) for late chronotype were constructed and tested for association with MetS. Causality between late chronotype and MetS was examined using one-sample MR analysis in TWB and validated in UKB. RESULTS: Late chronotype was significantly associated with MetS, as well as with central obesity, hyperglycemia, and hypertriglyceridemia, in both TWB and UKB (all P < 0.0083, considering Bonferroni correction). The constructed PRS of late chronotype also showed significant associations with MetS and several of its components (several P < 0.0083, considering Bonferroni correction). Findings from the one-sample MR analysis indicated a potential causal effect of late chronotype on MetS. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence of a robust association between late chronotype and MetS across populations of diverse ancestry, including Taiwanese and European.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Genetic overlap between depression and C-reactive protein levels: Evidence from a cross-trait analysis.

Inflammation and depression have been consistently associated, with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels observed in a significant subset of affected individuals. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying this association remain poorly understood. We integrated results from large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of depression and CRP levels in a cross-trait analysis specifically focusing on identifying horizontally pleiotropic loci. Identified variants were stratified as concordant versus discordant based on their direction of effects on the two traits and followed up using functional annotation, gene set enrichment, and colocalization analyses. We also explored causal relationships using Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis with extensive sensitivity analyses, including adjustment for body mass index (BMI). We identified 9 novel loci. Functional analyses revealed that concordant loci were enriched in genes linked to immune and inflammatory processes, while discordant loci mostly mapped to metabolic pathways, including lipid regulation. MR provided strong evidence for body mass index driving a causal relationship between the genetic liability of depression on CRP levels. Our findings suggest that the association between depression and CRP levels is partly driven by shared genetic influences, pointing to different biological pathways depending on whether genetic effects are concordant or discordant. These results underscore the importance of considering effect direction when assessing the genetic overlap between depression and inflammatory processes. In addition, they highlight BMI as a key factor in the causal relationship between depression and systemic inflammation.

C-Reactive Protein↗

PubMed2025

Causal relationship between educational attainment and the occurrence of venous thromboembolism.

BACKGROUND: The association between educational attainment (EA) and arterial thrombotic disease has been reported, but the causal relationship between EA and venous thromboembolism (VTE) is not clear. We aimed to assess the causal effect of EA on VTE using the two-sample mendelian randomization (MR) method. METHODS: Data mining was conducted on the genome wide association studies (GWAS), with exposure factor EA and outcome factor VTE. Two-sample Mendelian Randomization (TSMR) analysis was conducted, with the results obtained from the random effects inverse variance weighted method (IVW). Use the MR-Egger method for pleiotropy analysis and leave one method for sensitivity analysis to verify the reliability of the data. RESULTS: Genetically predicted decreased EA was associated with a decreased risk of VTE in both the FinnGen consortium and UK Biobank (FinnGen-VTE: OR = 0.848; 95% CI 0.776-0.927; P = 2.84 × 10-4; UKB-VTE OR = 0.996; 95% CI 0.994-0.999; P = 0.008) under a multiplicative random-effects IVW model. Results were consistent in all sensitivity analyses and no horizontal pleiotropy was detected. CONCLUSIONS: The MR technique instructed a potential inverse causative relationship between EA and occurrence of VTE. Therefore, patients with low EA should be more vigilant about the occurrence of VTE.

Venous Thromboembolism↗

PubMed2026

Exploring causal associations between autoimmune diseases and hearing loss: a mendelian randomization study.

OBJECTIVE: The causal relationship between Autoimmune Diseases (ADs) and Hearing Loss (HL) remains unclear. This study investigates whether genetic predispositions associated with ADs contribute to HL risk. METHODS: Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis was conducted to explore the causal effects of ADs on HL. SNPs from Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) were used as instrumental variables for ADs, including Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Sjögren's Syndrome (SS), Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Crohn's Disease (CD), and Ulcerative Colitis (UC). Outcome data included Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL), Conductive Hearing Loss (CHL), Mixed conductive and sensorineural Hearing Loss (MHL), and Sudden Idiopathic Hearing Loss (SIHL). MR analyses employed Inverse Variance Weighted (IVW) as the primary method, supplemented with MR-Egger, weighted median, and weighted mode. Heterogeneity, pleiotropy, and sensitivity were evaluated using Cochran's Q test, MR-Egger regression, MR-PRESSO, and leave-one-out analysis. RESULTS: The IVW method identified nine significant associations: MS-SIHL (OR = 1.0494, 95% CI 1.0072-1.0934), AS-CHL (OR = 1.2832, 95% CI 1.0643-1.5472), AS-MHL (OR = 1.5994, 95% CI 1.3696-1.8678), AS-SNHL (OR = 1.1903, 95% CI 1.1104-1.276), AS-SIHL (OR = 1.481, 95% CI 1.22-1.798), SLE-CHL (OR = 1.0593, 95% CI 1.0116-1.1092), UC-MHL (OR = 1.0907, 95% CI 1.0027-1.1865), CD-CHL (OR = 1.0529, 95%CI: 1.0074-1.1005), and CD-SIHL (OR = 1.0597, 95% CI 1.0177-1.1034). Among these, outliers were detected only in AS-SNHL. After outlier removal, the AS-SNHL association remained significant (OR = 1.1722, p < 0.00001), with resolved heterogeneity and pleiotropy. No heterogeneity and pleiotropy were found for the other associations. CONCLUSION: This study identified nine significant AD-HL associations, emphasizing the need for targeted screening and management of HL in individuals with AD. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 5.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Inflammatory cytokines mediate thoracic aortic aneurysm formation via plasma metabolites: A two-step Mendelian randomization and single cell sequencing-based investigation.

Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is a life-threatening condition characterized by pathological dilation of the aorta. While inflammatory responses have been implicated in TAA pathogenesis, the causal relationships remain elusive. This study aimed to elucidate potential causal associations between inflammatory cytokines, plasma metabolites, and TAA risk using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. We conducted bidirectional two-sample MR analysis utilizing genome-wide association study data from 91 inflammatory cytokines (n = 14,824), 1400 plasma metabolites (n = 8299), and TAA (n = 385,857). The inverse-variance weighted method served as the primary analytical approach, with comprehensive sensitivity analyses performed to assess pleiotropy and heterogeneity. Two-step MR analysis was employed to explore potential mediating roles of plasma metabolites. Single-cell sequencing analysis was utilized to detect cell type enrichment and elucidate cellular functions of identified cytokines. Additionally, we conducted an analysis to identify druggable proteins as potential therapeutic targets for TAA. MR analysis revealed that genetically-determined increases in C-X-C motif chemokine 10 (CXCL10) (odds ratios [OR] = 1.149, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.009-1.309, P = .037) and fibroblast growth factor 5 (OR = 1.101, 95% CI: 1.013-1.196, P = .024) were associated with elevated TAA risk. Conversely, C-C motif chemokine 20 (CCL20) (OR = 0.870, 95% CI: 0.759-0.996, P = .043) and CD40L receptor (CD40) (OR = 0.906, 95% CI: 0.827-0.992, P = .033) demonstrated inverse associations with TAA risk. Two-step MR analysis identified potential mediating metabolites: the phosphate to linoleoyl-arachidonoyl-glycerol ratio for CXCL10, thyroxine and X-24585 for FGF-5, and the creatine to carnitine ratio for CCL20. Single-cell sequencing analysis revealed enrichment of these cytokines in specific cell types and pathways relevant to TAA pathogenesis. Drug-gene interaction analysis identified CXCL10, CCL20, and CD40 as potential targets for treatment of TAA. This study provides robust genetic evidence supporting causal relationships between specific inflammatory cytokines and TAA risk, with plasma metabolites potentially mediating these effects. CXCL10 and FGF-5 were identified as potential risk factors, while CCL20 and CD40 may confer protective effects. These findings offer novel insights into TAA pathogenesis and suggest potential targets for intervention. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and validate these results across diverse populations.

Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic↗

PubMed2025

Post-genome-wide association study dissects genetic vulnerability and risk gene expression of Sjögren's disease for cardiovascular disease.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to clarify the genetic associations between Sjögren's Disease (SD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes, and to conduct an in-depth exploration of specific pleiotropic susceptibility genes. METHODS: We performed two-sample and multivariable Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the association between SD and the risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke. Linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC) and Bayesian co-localization analyses were employed to assess the genetic associations between traits. Cross-phenotype analyses were employed to identify shared variants and genes, followed by a Transcriptome-Wide Association Study (TWAS) and Multi-marker Analysis of Genomic Annotation (MAGMA) based on Multi-Trait Analysis of GWAS (MTAG) results. To validate the pleiotropic genes, we further analyzed tissue-specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to SD using RNA sequencing data. RESULTS: The two-sample and multivariable MR analyses revealed that SD confers a genetic vulnerability to IHD and stroke. LDSC and co-localization analyses indicated a strong genetic linkage between SD and CVDs. Cross-phenotype analyses identified 38 and 37 pleiotropic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for SD-Stroke and SD-IHD, respectively, primarily located within the MHC class region on 6p21.32:33 loci. Additionally, TWAS and MAGMA analyses identified pleiotropic genes located outside the MHC regions-seven associated with stroke (UHRF1BP1, SNRPC, BLK, FAM167A, ARHGAP27, C8orf12, and PLEKHM1) and two associated with IHD (UHRF1BP1 and SNRPC). Proxy variants within these genes in SD suggested an increased causal risk for stroke or IHD. Co-localization analysis further reinforced that SD and stroke share significant SNPs within the loci of FAM167A, BLK, C8orf12, SNRPC, and UHRF1BP1. DEG analysis revealed a significant up-regulation of the identified genes in SD-specific tissues. CONCLUSIONS: SD appears genetically predisposed to an increased risk of CVDs. Moreover, this research not only identified pleiotropic genes shared between SD and CVDs, but also, for the first time, detected key gene expressions that elevate CVD risk in SD patients-findings that may offer promising therapeutic targets for patient management.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Genomics-informed drug-repurposing strategy identifies two therapeutic targets for preventing liver disease associated with metabolic dysfunction.

Identification of drug-repurposing targets with genetic and biological support is an economically and temporally efficient strategy for improving the treatment of diseases. We employed a cross-disciplinary approach to identify potential therapeutics for the prevention of metabolic-dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in at-risk individuals by using humans as a model organism. We identified 212 putative candidate genes associated with MASLD by using data from a large multi-ancestry genetic association study, of which 158 (74.5%) were previously unreported. From this set, we identified 57 genes that encode for druggable protein targets and for which the effects of increasing genetically predicted gene expression on MASLD risk align with the function of that drug on the protein target. We then used We then evaluated these potential targets for evidence of efficacy by using Mendelian randomization, pathway analysis, and protein structural modeling. Through these approaches, we present compelling evidence to suggest that the activation of FADS1 by icosapent ethyl, as well as S1PR2 by fingolimod, could be a promising therapeutic strategy for MASLD prevention.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Constipation and Psychiatric Disorders: A Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study.

BACKGROUND: Observational studies have shown a link between constipation (CN) and psychiatric disorders, including Schizophrenia (SP), Bipolar disorder (BD), Schizoaffective disorder (SD), and Parkinson's disease (PD). However, it is still unknown whether CN affects the occurrence and development of psychiatric disorders or whether psychiatric disorders cause the occurrence and development of CN. Therefore, this study used Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to evaluate the relationship between CN and psychiatric disorders. METHOD: We used genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to assess the relationship between constipation (N = 411, 623) and four psychiatric disorders, including SP ( N = 77, 096), BD (N = 51, 710), SD ( N = 210, 962), PD (N = 482, 730 ), using bidirectional MR analysis. Inverse variance weighting (IVW), MR Egger (ME) and Weighted median (WM) were used as causal analysis methods. Cochran's Q test, funnel plot, MR Egger intercept test and Leave.one.out analysis were used to detect sensitivity. Confounding factors were analyzed and eliminated by LDtrait to avoid influencing the final MR Analysis result. RESULTS: The results of positive MR analysis indicated that there was no evidence of influence of constipation on SP (OR 1.043, 95%CI 0.946 - 1.149, P value = 0.398), BD (OR 1.114, 95%CI 0.995 - 1.248, P value = 0.062), SD (OR 0.934, 95%CI 0.674 - 1.294, P value = 0.682) and PD (OR 1.118, 95%CI 0.918 - 1.361, P value = 0.269) under gene prediction. Reverse MR analysis suggested that SP (OR 1.030, 95% CI 1.001-1.060, P value = 0.042) had a causal relationship with constipation. BD (OR 0.993, 95% CI 0.962-1.025, P value = 0.664), SD (OR 1.021, 95% CI 0.984-1.059, P value = 0.265) and PD (OR 1.004, 95% CI 0.974-1.035, P value = 0.790) were not associated with CN. CONCLUSION: There was a positive association between SP and CN. CN may have no exact causal relationship with BD, SD and PD, and the interaction mechanism between these diseases needs to be further explored.

Constipation↗

PubMed2025

Thyroid disease and breast cancer, benign breast neoplasm: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is a prevalent and significant health issue and a major contributor to global cancer incidence, accounting for 31% of all reported cases in women. Benign breast neoplasm, as a benign tumor with a high incidence in women, may play an important role in the development of BC. Previous studies have shown that thyroid dysfunction and thyroid cancer (TC) can lead to the occurrence of many cancers. Therefore, we conduct Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to explore the causality of thyroid dysfunctions, TC, and breast neoplasm. METHODS: The data of the analysis from the genome-wide association study (GWAS) dataset. The exposure includes FT4, TSH, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and TC. Meanwhile, the outcome consists of BC, HER2-enriched BC, HER2-negative BC, and benign breast neoplasm. We used five methods (inverse variance weighted (IVW) random effects model, IVW fixed effects model, MR-Egger method, median weighted method, and the weighted mode method). We used the MR-PRESSO test and MR-Egger intercept test to detect horizontal pleiotropy and Cochran's Q test to detect heterogeneity. RESULTS: The IVW method showed a positive relationship between high FT4 levels and BC (OR = 1.210 p = 0.008) and an inverse association between TSH levels (OR IVW = 0.908 p = 0.007), hypothyroidism (OR IVW = 0.959, p = 0.014) and BC. For HER2-positive BC, an elevated FT4 level was associated with an increased risk (OR IVW = 1.314, p = 0.001). Genetically predicted high TSH levels (OR IVW = 0.899, p = 0.02) and hypothyroidism (OR IVW = 0.944, p = 0.003) were associated with a decreased risk of HER2-positive BC. Meanwhile, individuals with TC (OR = 1.003, p = 0.048), and hyperthyroidism (OR IVW = 1.127, p = 0.006) were associated with an increasing risk of development of benign breast neoplasm. Hyperthyroidism was associated with an elevated risk of benign breast neoplasm. CONCLUSIONS: The present MR study explains the association between thyroid diseases and BC (mainly in HER2-positive BC). Furthermore, it demonstrates that hyperthyroidism, low levels of TSH, and TC may contribute to the development of benign breast neoplasm.

Humans↗