Evaluating Causal Effects of Gut Microbiome on Bipolar Disorder.

Background: Previous studies have shown that gut microbiome dysbiosis has pathogenic significance in the development of bipolar disorder (BD), but the direct causal relationship remains unclear. We aimed to investigate this potential correlation.

Methods: Using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) analysis, we examined the potential causal effects of gut microbiota on BD.

Investigating bidirectional causal relationships between gut microbiota and insomnia.

Background: Although studies in recent years have explored the impact of gut microbiota on various sleep characteristics, the interaction between gut microbiota and insomnia remains unclear.

Aims: We aimed to evaluate the mutual influences between gut microbiota and insomnia.

Methods: We conducted Mendelian randomisation (MR) analysis using genome-wide association studies datasets on insomnia (N=386 533), gut microbiota data from the MiBioGen alliance (N=18 340) and the Dutch Microbiome Project (N=8208).

Integrative genomic analysis identifies novel causal genes of Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Background: The genetic mechanisms underlying non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) remain understudied. While numerous genes associated with these lymphoid tumors have been identified, little research has focused on the genetic networks that directly drive NHL and HL pathogenesis.

Methods: We conducted integrative genomic analyses, including a transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS), a proteome-wide association study (PWAS), and a summary-data-based Mendelian randomization (SMR), to identify causal genes for NHL and HL.

CircRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks in plasma extracellular vesicles as biomarkers for first-onset schizophrenia.

Background: The circRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in first-onset schizophrenia (FOS) have not been reported yet. Here, we constructed circRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks of EVs, and examined their diagnostic efficiency in FOS.

Methods: The expression levels of circRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs in EVs derived from 10 FOS patients and 10 healthy controls (HC) were determined by high-throughput sequencing.

Exploring causal associations between plasma metabolites and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Background: Observational studies reported altered levels of plasma metabolites in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We aim to explore the causal link between plasma metabolites and ADHD.

Methods: We utilized Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to assess the causal relationship between plasma metabolites and ADHD and the Genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary datasets were sourced from public databases.

Further elucidation of GMPPB as a risk gene for depression through integrative multi-omics analyses.

Depression, a prevalent and recurrent mental disorder, significantly impairs the quality of life and social functioning. Traditional genome-wide association studies GWAS is difficult to accurately locate causative genes due to linkage disequilibrium and tissue-specific expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) effects, while single-tissue transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) may overlook cross-tissue regulatory heterogeneity or produce spurious associations. To address these limitations, the combined sparse canonical correlation analysis (sCCA) with the Aggregated Cauchy Association Test (ACAT) analysis was employed for capturing shared expression patterns across multiple tissues, reducing spurious associations and enhancing its power to detect genes with heterogeneous regulatory effects.

Gut microbiome links obesity to type 2 diabetes: insights from Mendelian randomization.

Background: Research has established links between the gut microbiome (GM) and both obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D), which is much discussed, but underexplored. This study employed body mass index (BMI) as the measurement of obesity to delve deeper into the correlations from a genetic perspective.

Methods: We performed the Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to examine the causal effects of GM on T2D and BMI, and vice versa.

Bidirectional causal associations between plasma metabolites and bipolar disorder.

Altered levels of human plasma metabolites have been implicated in the etiology of bipolar disorder (BD). However, the causality between metabolites and the disease was not well described. We performed a bidirectional metabolome-wide Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to evaluate the potential causal relationships between 871 plasma metabolites and BD.

Association of branched-chain amino acids with major depressive disorder: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Recent studies have linked branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) metabolism with the risk of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, it is unclear whether associations of plasma BCAA levels with MDD are causal or driven by reverse causality.

Methods: Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to investigate the causal association of genetically determined BCAA levels with the risk of MDD.

Opposite causal effects of type 2 diabetes and metformin on Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is commonly co-morbid with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, it remains unclear whether T2D itself or the antidiabetic drug metformin contributes to the progression of AD.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the overall and independent effects of T2D and metformin use on the risk of AD.

Evaluating the causal effects of circulating metabolic biomarkers on Alzheimer's disease.

Background: The diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is challenging due to the complexity of its pathogenesis. Although research suggests a link between circulating metabolites and AD, their causal relationship is not fully understood.

Methods: Based on publicly available genome-wide association study data, we investigated the causative relationship between AD (7759 cases and 334,740 controls) and 233 traits describing circulating metabolites (136,016 participants) using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) method.

Causal effects of education, intelligence, and income on COVID-19: evidence from a Mendelian randomization study.

Background: The protective effects of higher educational attainment (EA) and intelligence on COVID-19 outcomes are not yet understood with regard to their dependency on income. The objective of our study was to examine the overall as well as independent effects of the three psychosocial factors on the susceptibility to and severity of COVID-19. To accomplish this, we utilized genetic correlation, Mendelian randomization (MR), and multivariable MR (MVMR) analyses to evaluate genetic associations between EA, intelligence, household income, and three specific COVID-19 outcomes: SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalized COVID-19, and critical COVID-19.

Causal associations between posttraumatic stress disorder and type 2 diabetes.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients have a high comorbidity with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Whether PTSD influences the risk of diabetes is still not known. We used GWAS data from European ancestry of PTSD (23,121 cases and 151,447 controls) and T2D (80,154 cases and 853,816 controls) to investigate the bidirectional associations between PTSD and T2D by the Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

Unraveling the genetic links between depression and type 2 diabetes.

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic metabolic disorder that has high comorbidity with mental disorders. The genetic relationships between T2D and depression are far from being well understood.

Methods: We performed genetic correlation, polygenic overlap, Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses, cross-trait meta-analysis, and Bayesian colocalization analysis to assess genetic relationships between T2D and depression, in the forms of major depressive disorder (MDD) and depressed affect (DAF).

Phenome-wide investigation of bidirectional causal relationships between major depressive disorder and common human diseases.

The high comorbidity of major depressive disorder (MDD) with other diseases has been well-documented. However, the pairwise causal connections for MDD comorbid networks are poorly characterized. We performed Phenome-wide Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to explore bidirectional causal associations between MDD (N = 807,553) and 877 common diseases from FinnGen datasets (N = 377,277).

Gut microbiome's causal role in head and neck cancer: findings from mendelian randomization.

Introduction: The gut microbiome (GM) has been implicated in cancer pathogenesis and treatment, including head and neck cancers (HNC). However, the specific microbial compositions influencing HNC and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown.

Methods: This study utilized published genome-wide association studies (GWAS) summary data-based two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to uncover the GM compositions that exert significant causal effects on HNC.

Novel Insights Into the Causal Effects and Shared Genetics Between Body Fat and Parkinson Disease.

Aims: Existing observational studies examining the effect of body fat on the risk of Parkinson disease (PD) have yielded inconsistent results. We aimed to investigate this causal relationship at the genetic level.

Methods: We employed two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) to investigate the causal effects of body fat on PD, with multiple sex-specific body fat measures being involved.

Mendelian randomization analysis of causal and druggable circulating inflammatory proteins in schizophrenia.

Background: Schizophrenia (SZ) is a severe mental disorder with complex origins. Observational studies suggested that inflammatory factors may play a role in the pathophysiology of SZ and we aim to investigate the potential genetic connection between them by examining the causal impact of circulating inflammatory proteins on SZ.

Methods: We utilized Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to assess the causal relationship between circulating inflammatory proteins and SZ and the GWAS summary datasets were sourced from public databases.

Antidepressants account for the causal effect of major depressive disorder on type 2 diabetes.

Background: Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) face an elevated risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, the contribution of the disease itself versus the side effects of antidepressants to this increased risk remains unclear.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the overall and independent effects of MDD and exposure to antidepressants on T2D risk.

Investigating the impact of clinical and genetic factors on the post-surgery prognosis of sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma.

Sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SNSCC) is an aggressive cancer affecting the nasal and sinus regions, with its progression factors, particularly genetic ones, not yet fully understood. Here, we first conducted a retrospective study with 219 SNSCC patients to identify clinical factors affecting SNSCC prognosis. Additionally, we mined a vast literature dataset to uncover genetic factors associated with SNSCC progression.

Genetic predisposition to milder forms of COVID-19 may provide some resilience to head and neck cancers.

Introduction: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on head and neck cancer (HNC) has been suggested, but the causal relationship remains unclear.

Methods: We explore this connection by utilizing the Mendelian randomization (MR) approach applied to publicly available genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary datasets for COVID-19 and HNC. The datasets included critical COVID-19 (13,769 cases, 1,072,442 controls), hospitalized COVID-19 (32,519 cases, 2,062,805 controls), SARS-CoV-2 infection (122,616 cases, 2,475,240 controls), and HNC (2,131 cases, 287,137 controls).