Related Experiment Videos
Association of depression with keratitis: A bidirectional 2-sample Mendelian randomization study.
Yujian Zhang1, Donghua Niu2, Mengjie Chen3
1Eye Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China.
Medicine
|May 30, 2026
Summary
This study found depression increases keratitis risk, but keratitis does not increase depression risk. These findings highlight the importance of psychiatric assessment in managing keratitis patients.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Psychiatry
- Genetics
Background:
- Observational studies suggest a link between depression and keratitis.
- Confounding factors obscure the causal relationship in observational studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the bidirectional causal relationship between depression and keratitis using Mendelian randomization (MR).
Main Methods:
- A bidirectional 2-sample MR analysis utilized summary-level data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS).
- Primary analysis employed the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method with random-effects model.
- Sensitivity analyses included weighted median, simple mode, weighted mode, Cochran Q test, MR-Egger intercept test, and leave-one-out analysis.
Main Results:
- Depression showed a significant positive causal effect on keratitis risk (OR: 1.173, P=0.015).
- Reverse MR analysis found no evidence of a causal effect of keratitis on depression (P>0.05).
- Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the findings, with no significant heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy.
Conclusions:
- A unidirectional causal relationship exists: depression increases the risk of keratitis.
- No evidence supports a causal effect of keratitis on depression.
- Psychiatric assessment is crucial for keratitis management, suggesting shared underlying mechanisms.
