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Rheumatoid arthritis and hypothyroidism: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.
Lincheng Duan1, Dongqing Chen1, Yue Shi1
1Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
Frontiers in Immunology
|August 21, 2023
Summary
This study used Mendelian randomization to confirm a two-way causal link between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and hypothyroidism. Findings indicate RA increases hypothyroidism risk, and hypothyroidism increases RA risk, highlighting a bidirectional relationship.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Endocrinology
- Genetics
Background:
- Observational studies suggest a correlation between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and hypothyroidism.
- The causal relationship between RA and hypothyroidism remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the bidirectional causal relationship between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and hypothyroidism using Mendelian randomization (MR).
Main Methods:
- Summary data from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) for RA and hypothyroidism in European populations were analyzed.
- Mendelian randomization methods including MR-Egger, weighted median (WM), and inverse variance weighted (IVW) were employed.
- Pleiotropy and heterogeneity were assessed using MR-Egger intercept, MR-PRESSO, leave-one-out analysis, and Cochran's Q test.
Main Results:
- A bidirectional causal link was established: RA increases hypothyroidism risk (OR=1.28) and hypothyroidism increases RA risk (OR=1.68).
- Secondary hypothyroidism also showed increased risks for both RA and hypothyroidism.
- Replication in FinnGen consortium data confirmed these findings, with no evidence of horizontal pleiotropy.
Conclusions:
- This study confirms a bidirectional causal relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and hypothyroidism.
- Results suggest potential shared etiological factors or feedback mechanisms requiring further investigation.
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