Relationship between creatine kinase and gastric cancer: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Oncology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Observational studies suggest a link between creatine kinase (CK) and gastric cancer (GC).
• Causality between CK levels and GC risk remains uncertain.
• Mendelian randomization (MR) can investigate genetic causal relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the causal relationship between genetically predicted CK levels and GC risk using a 2-sample MR design.
• To investigate the potential causal effect of GC on CK levels.

Main Methods:

• Employed a 2-sample MR design with inverse-variance weighting (IVW), Weighted Median, and MR-Egger regression.
• Utilized genome-wide association studies datasets for single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to CK and GC.
• Performed sensitivity analyses including heterogeneity and pleiotropy assessments.

Main Results:

• No significant causal relationship was found between CK levels and GC risk (IVW P=0.09).
• Reverse analysis showed no significant causal effect of GC on CK levels (IVW P=0.80).
• Sensitivity analyses consistently supported the absence of a genetic causal link.

Conclusions:

• This study found no evidence of a genetic causal relationship between CK and GC.
• The complex interplay between CK and GC requires further investigation through population-based and experimental studies.