Causal relationship between immune cells and post-viral fatigue syndrome: a Mendelian randomization study

Accumulating evidence has hinted at a correlation between immune cells and post-viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS). However, it is still ambiguous whether these associations indicate a causal connection.

To elucidate the potential causal link between immune cells and PVFS, we performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study.

We obtained summary data on PVFS cases (Ncase = 195) and controls (Ncontrol = 382,198) from the FinnGen consortium. Additionally, we retrieved comprehensive statistical information on 731 immune cell features. Our analysis encompassed both forward and reverse MR approaches. To ensure the reliability and validity of our findings, we conducted rigorous sensitivity analyses, addressing issues of robustness and heterogeneity.

Our study presents compelling evidence of a probable causal link between immune cells and PVFS. Notably, we have pinpointed 28 distinct types of immune cell traits that potentially exhibit a causal association with PVFS. Among a pool of 7 31 immune cell traits, we identified 28 immune cell types that exhibited a potential causal association with PVFS. These included 9 B cells, 1 conventional dendritic cell (cDC), 1 maturation stage of T cell, 3 myeloid cells, 9 T, B, NK, and monocyte cells (TBNK), and 5 regulatory T cells (Treg).

Through genetic analyses, our study has unveiled profound causal connections between specific types of immune cells and PVFS, offering valuable guidance for forthcoming clinical investigations.