Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 3, 2025

Temporomandibular Joint Pain Measurement by Bite Force and Von Frey Filament Assays in Mice
06:37

Temporomandibular Joint Pain Measurement by Bite Force and Von Frey Filament Assays in Mice

Published on: September 13, 2024

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Is there a causal association between temporomandibular disorders and COVID-19 risk? A genetic instrumental variables

Jiayi Chen1

  • 1Department of Stomatology, Suzhou Wujiang District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 215221 Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.

Journal of Oral & Facial Pain and Headache
|January 13, 2025
PubMed

Insights

This study found no causal link between COVID-19 and temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD). Bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis indicated neither condition influences the other, suggesting psychological stress may be a factor.

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has seen increased public focus on temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD).
  • Previous epidemiological studies suggested a potential rise in TMD prevalence during the COVID-19 pandemic era.
  • Understanding the etiological relationship between COVID-19 and TMD is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential causal association between COVID-19 and temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) using bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR).
  • To determine if COVID-19 influences TMD susceptibility or if TMD affects COVID-19 risk.
  • To eliminate reverse causality and confounding factors, providing etiological evidence.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative (HGI) for COVID-19 phenotypes and UK Biobank (UKB) for TMD.
  • Employed bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis, including Inverse Variance Weighted (IVW), Weighted Median (WM), and MR-Egger regression.
  • Conducted sensitivity analyses (MR-PRESSO, Cochran's Q test, MR-Egger intercept, leave-one-out) and validated findings with FinnGen GWAS data.

Main Results:

  • Bidirectional MR analysis revealed no significant causal effect of TMD on COVID-19 susceptibility.
  • The reversed MR analysis indicated no significant causal effect of COVID-19 on TMD.
  • Sensitivity analyses confirmed robust results, showing no evidence of pleiotropy, though statistical power was limited by sample size.

Conclusions:

  • Current evidence suggests that COVID-19 does not impact TMD, nor does TMD increase susceptibility to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2.
  • Psychological stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic may act as a mediator in the relationship between these conditions.
  • Further external studies are needed to definitively verify the relationship between COVID-19 and TMD.

Keywords:
BiostatisticsCOVID-19Mendelian randomization analysisPsychosocial factorsTemporomandibular joint disorders

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