No causal effect between prostatitis and erectile dysfunction: Insights from a 2-sample bidirectional Mendelian...

Area of Science:

• Andrology
• Genetics
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Prostatitis and erectile dysfunction (ED) are prevalent andrological conditions.
• Existing epidemiological data suggest an association between prostatitis and ED, but causality remains debated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential causal relationship between prostatitis and ED using Mendelian randomization (MR).
• To leverage publicly available genetic data for a robust genetic analysis.

Main Methods:

• A two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed using genetic data from the FinnGen consortium.
• Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) served as instrumental variables. Primary analysis used the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method, with MR-Egger and weighted median methods for secondary analysis.
• Heterogeneity, pleiotropy, influential SNPs, and outliers were assessed using Cochran's Q-test, MR-Egger intercept, leave-one-out analysis, and MR-PRESSO, respectively.

Main Results:

• The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method showed no significant causal effect of prostatitis on ED (OR = 1.132, P = 0.199).
• Similarly, no significant causal effect of ED on prostatitis was detected (OR = 1.044, P = 0.311).
• Sensitivity analyses did not reveal significant causal links, supporting the primary findings.

Conclusions:

• This Mendelian randomization study found no clear evidence of a causal effect between prostatitis and erectile dysfunction in the European population based on genetic prediction.
• The findings suggest that the observed association may not be driven by a direct genetic causal pathway.