Causality between coronavirus disease 2019 and tuberculosis: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study
Lei Wang1, Chidao Chen, Peng Wang
1College of Medical Imaging, Qilu Medical University, Zibo, Shandong, China.
Medicine
|April 28, 2025
Summary
This Mendelian randomization study found no causal link between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and tuberculosis (TB). Further research is needed due to limited genetic data, but current evidence suggests no two-way causality.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Genetics
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- An association between COVID-19 and TB has been observed, but the causal relationship remains unclear.
- Previous studies suggest potential impacts of COVID-19 on TB, necessitating further investigation.
- Mendelian randomization (MR) offers a method to explore genetic causality between diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential bidirectional causal relationship between COVID-19 and TB.
- To utilize genetic data to infer causality, minimizing confounding factors.
- To provide robust evidence regarding the connection between these two significant public health concerns.
Main Methods:
- Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was employed.
- Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data for COVID-19 and TB were utilized.
- Five complementary MR methods, including inverse variance weighting and MR-Egger regression, were applied to assess the relationship.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant causal relationship was found between COVID-19 and TB in either direction.
- Reverse MR analysis also confirmed the absence of a significant bidirectional causal link.
- The odds ratio for the association was 1.022 (95% CI: 0.955-1.032, P=0.611).
Conclusions:
- This bidirectional MR analysis suggests no two-way causality between COVID-19 and TB in the studied European population.
- The findings contrast with some previous epidemiological observations.
- Caution is advised in interpreting results due to limitations in available GWAS data for both conditions.
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