Mendelian randomization analysis of immune cell traits and their association with cervical cancer risk
1Department of Gynecology, Tongxiang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Tongxiang, 314500, China. lovelyyujie@163.com.
Background:
Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignancies among women worldwide, with a complex pathogenesis involving multiple genetic and immune factors. Immune cells play a critical role in the initiation and progression of tumors. This study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between various immune cell traits and cervical cancer risk using Mendelian randomization (MR), with the goal of providing new insights and potential targets for the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer.
Methods:
This study employed Mendelian randomization analysis, using genetic variants as instrumental variables to evaluate the association between various immune cell traits and cervical cancer risk. By analyzing the effect sizes and statistical significance of different immune cell subsets, and utilizing visual tools such as volcano plots, forest plots, and funnel plots, a comprehensive analysis of the data was conducted.
Results:
The study found a slight positive association between activated secretory CD4 regulatory T cells and cervical cancer risk (OR = 1.001, 95% CI 1.000-1.002, p = 0.001), while resting CD4 regulatory T cells showed a potential protective effect (OR = 0.998, 95% CI 0.997-0.999, p = 0.004). Additionally, CD25 on IgD+ CD38dim B cells approached significance (p = 0.050), suggesting a possible impact. Most other immune cell traits had effect sizes close to zero and showed no significant association with cervical cancer risk.
Conclusion:
Although most immune cell traits showed no significant association with cervical cancer risk, these significant findings provide direction for future research and highlight the potential role of specific immune cells in the pathogenesis of cervical cancer.
