Association between serum apolipoprotein B and depression: A cross-sectional and Mendelian randomization analysis...

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Genetics
• Public Health

Background:

• Depression is a widespread mental illness with significant global public health implications.
• Identifying depression risk factors and their causal pathways is crucial for effective intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between serum Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) levels and depression.
• To elucidate the potential causal relationship between serum ApoB and depression using genetic methods.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS).
• Employed multifactorial logistic regression, subgroup analyses, and smooth curve fitting to assess associations.
• Applied Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to evaluate the causal effect of serum ApoB on depression.

Main Results:

• A total of 6531 participants were included in the study.
• Elevated serum ApoB levels were significantly associated with an increased risk of depression (OR=1.40, P=0.0176).
• Mendelian randomization analysis revealed no significant genetic causal relationship between serum ApoB and depression (P=0.1923).

Conclusions:

• Serum ApoB is positively associated with depression risk, but a direct causal link is not supported by genetic evidence.
• Current findings do not indicate that managing high ApoB levels is beneficial for depression management.
• Limitations include potential inconsistencies between cross-sectional and MR study populations.