Association Between Immune-Related Disease and Allergic Rhinitis: A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study

Area of Science:

• Immunology and Genetics
• Epidemiology
• Allergy Research

Background:

• Immune-related diseases often interact, with potential links to allergic rhinitis (AR).
• Previous observational studies suggested associations, but causal relationships remained unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential causal genetic links between eight immune-related diseases and allergic rhinitis (AR).
• Utilizing a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to assess genetic associations.

Main Methods:

• Selected eight immune-related diseases (atopic dermatitis, Graves' disease, asthma, Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, ulcerative colitis) as exposures.
• Employed Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) data to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as instrumental variables (IVs).
• Conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis to evaluate the causal effect of each disease on AR.

Main Results:

• Identified significant causal relationships where atopic dermatitis (AD), asthma, and Crohn's disease (CD) increase AR risk.
• Found evidence suggesting Graves' disease (GD) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may act as protective factors against AR.
• Utilized 416 SNPs as instrumental variables in the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) analysis.

Conclusions:

• Atopic dermatitis, asthma, and Crohn's disease are confirmed to increase the risk of allergic rhinitis.
• Graves' disease and systemic lupus erythematosus may have a protective effect on allergic rhinitis.
• Findings suggest that previously observed associations in observational studies might be influenced by confounding factors.