Association between inflammatory factors and melanoma: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Oncology
• Immunology

Background:

• Melanoma is a significant public health concern.
• Inflammation plays a role in cancer development.
• Understanding genetic risk factors for melanoma is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the causal relationships between C-reactive protein, 41 inflammatory regulators, and melanoma risk.
• To utilize a bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) approach for robust analysis.

Main Methods:

• Employed inverse variance weighting (IVW) to combine single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) effects.
• Assessed heterogeneity using Cochran Q statistic and I-squared index.
• Conducted sensitivity analyses including MR-Egger, weighted median, and MR-PRESSO.

Main Results:

• Interleukin-16 (IL-16) showed a significant positive association with melanoma risk (OR: 1.05).
• Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) was suggestively associated with melanoma susceptibility (OR: 1.13).
• Tumor necrosis factor-beta (TNF-β) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) also demonstrated positive associations with melanoma risk under a less stringent threshold.

Conclusions:

• Genetic evidence suggests a potential association between IL-16, IL-8, MCP-1, and TNF-β levels and melanoma risk.
• These findings highlight specific inflammatory markers as potential contributors to melanoma development.
• Further research is needed to explore clinical applications of these discoveries.