Genetically predicted serum urate and cancer risk: a Mendelian randomization study

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Epidemiology
• Oncology

Background:

• Serum urate (SU) levels are influenced by genetics.
• Understanding the causal relationship between SU and cancer risk is important for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the causal effect of genetically predicted serum urate levels on overall and site-specific cancer risks.
• To investigate these relationships in individuals of European ancestry using Mendelian randomization (MR).

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from two Swedish cohorts (MDCS, MPP) and summary statistics from GUGC and UK Biobank.
• Employed Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis with 26 SU-related genetic variants as instrumental variables.
• Assessed causal relationships between genetically determined SU and 13 site-specific cancers and 'any cancer'.

Main Results:

• Suggestive evidence indicated a potential association between higher genetically predicted SU and lower risk of brain and colorectal cancers.
• These findings were not consistent across different MR approaches.
• No significant causal associations were observed for other common cancers.

Conclusions:

• The MR study found no consistent evidence for a causal effect of genetically predicted serum urate on overall or common site-specific cancer risks in European populations.
• Further investigation may be warranted for specific cancer types or different ancestries.