Causal relationship between ankylosing spondylitis and multiple sclerosis: Evidence from 2-sample Mendelian...

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Genetics
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are chronic immune-mediated diseases.
• These conditions share overlapping epidemiological and genetic characteristics.
• The causal relationship between AS and MS is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential causal effect of ankylosing spondylitis on the risk of multiple sclerosis.
• To explore the genetic architecture and pathophysiological pathways shared between AS and MS.

Main Methods:

• A 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted.
• Genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics from European populations were utilized.
• Instrumental variables were selected based on stringent significance, independence, and validity criteria.

Main Results:

• The primary MR analyses indicated that AS is associated with an increased risk of MS (OR = 2.18).
• The MR Egger method supported this finding, and sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the results.
• Inverse MR analysis showed no evidence of a causal effect of MS on AS.

Conclusions:

• Ankylosing spondylitis may causally influence the risk of developing multiple sclerosis.
• These findings contribute to understanding the shared genetic and pathophysiological links between AS and MS.
• Further research in diverse populations and using nonlinear models is recommended.