Brain MRI iron deposition and serum iron with multiple sclerosis: Evidence from a Mendelian randomization study

Accumulating evidence suggests abnormal iron deposition in the brains of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the causal relevance of brain iron deposition, as well as its relationship with systemic iron status, remains uncertain.

To investigate potential causal associations, we conducted Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses using summary data from the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium (47,429 MS cases and 68,374 controls), brain quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM, N = 35,273) and serum iron (163,511). Sensitivity analyses and bidirectional MR were conducted to fortify MR findings.

MS exhibited higher genetically predicted iron deposition in multiple brain regions, including the thalamus, caudate, and white matter hyperintensities (all p < 0.05). Among these, the association in the right thalamus (β = 0.028, 95% CI: [0.009, 0.047], p = 0.004) remained significant after Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons (p < 0.05/9 = 5.55 × 10⁻³). Conversely, MS demonstrated lower genetically predicted serum iron concentration (β = -0.009, 95% CI: [-0.018, -0.001], p = 0.023). Multiple sensitivity analyses displayed relatively robust results, and bidirectional MR excluded reverse causal relationships.

The study demonstrates a causal association between MS and increased brain iron deposition, particularly in the thalamus, as well as a separate association with decreased serum iron levels. These findings provide further insight into the relationship between MS and iron metabolism.