Causal effects between circulating immune cells and heart failure: evidence from a bidirectional Mendelian...

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Genetics

Background:

• Heart failure (HF) is a significant cause of mortality and morbidity.
• Immune cells are key biomarkers for immune status.
• The causal link between circulating immune cells and HF pathogenesis needs more research.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate genetic interactions between circulating immune cells and HF.
• Elucidate genetic associations between lymphocyte subsets and HF.

Main Methods:

• Utilized two-sample and multivariate Mendelian randomization (MVMR).
• Employed inverse variance weighting (IVW) and sensitivity analyses.
• Obtained genetic variants from the Blood Cell Consortium and HF data.

Main Results:

• Elevated lymphocyte count showed a correlation with decreased HF risk (OR = 0.97).
• Increased CD39+ CD4+ T-cell counts were significantly linked to reduced HF risk (OR = 0.96).
• MVMR confirmed the significant association for CD39+ CD4+ T-cells and HF.

Conclusions:

• Mendelian randomization (MR) research supports a causal link between lymphocytes and HF.
• Specific subset analysis revealed a causal relationship between CD39+ CD4+ T lymphocytes and HF.
• Findings aid future understanding of HF mechanisms.