Medicine
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Observational studies indicate that the risk of prostatitis in sleep apnea patients is higher than those without sleep apnea. However, the causal relationships remain to be determined. This study aims to investigate the causal relationships of sleep apnea on prostatitis using Mendelian randomization (MR). ⋯ The inverse variance weighted (IVW) analysis was employed as the primary statistical method. In 2-sample MR analyses, we found that IVW estimates revealed that sleep apnea inferred an effect on risk of prostatitis at statistical significance (odds ratio [OR] = 1.370, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.094-0.535, P = .005). This MR study strengthens the evidence of a causal relationship between sleep apnea and prostatitis in Europeans.
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Observational studies and meta-analyses have indicated a notable correlation between obesity and vitamin D deficiency, yet the causal relationship between the 2 remains contentious. This study employed a bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to explore the interrelation between obesity-associated body metrics: specifically body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), body fat percentage (BFP), whole-body fat percentage (WHF), and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels. Instrumental variables for BMI, WHR, BFP, whole body fat mass (WFM), and 25(OH)D were carefully selected based on predefined thresholds. ⋯ However, no statistically significant inverse causative association was observed between these body components and 25(OH)D levels. Sensitivity analyses revealed no substantial heterogeneity or pleiotropy, ensuring robustness of the findings. This study substantiates a significant causal link between 4 obesity-related body components and decreased 25(OH)D levels, excluding reverse causality.
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Myocardial infarction, a type of coronary artery disease, results from various factors such as genetic predisposition, lifestyle choices, and immune system regulation. The exact causal links between immune cells, plasma metabolites, and myocardial infarction are currently unclear. Therefore, our study employed the Mendelian randomization approach to explore these potential causal relationships. ⋯ IgD-CD38br lymphocytes could exert a detrimental effect on myocardial infarction by negatively regulating the glycerol to palmitoylcarnitine (C16) ratio, with the mediation effect ratio being 9%. IgD-CD38br lymphocytes potentially increase the risk of myocardial infarction by negatively affecting the glycerol to palmitoylcarnitine (C16) ratio. This finding opens avenues for developing early diagnostic tools and targeted therapies for myocardial infarction.
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The object of this study was to propose a Wnt5a-matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13 dependent signaling axis for osteoarthritis (OA) progression. To this end, the chondrocytes were isolated from both OA patients and normal controls. The chondrocytes were treated with diverse concentrations of Wnt5a (0, 50, 100, and 200 ng/mL), respectively. ⋯ The expression pattern of Collagen type II was same as cell proliferation manner. Co-treatment of MMP-13 siRNA could significantly compensate the functions of Wnt-5a administration, suggesting MMP-13 was a direct target of Wnt-5a. Collectively, the study speculated a novel Wnt5a-MMP-13 molecular mechanism for OA progression and shed an innovative signaling axis for the disorder.
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Epidemiological research has demonstrated that people suffering from ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have a greater chance of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), though the potential link between AS genetics and CVD risk is uncertain. This research examined the potential link between CVD outcomes and AS which is genetically determined. A two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis was conducted using data from European population genome-wide association study of AS and CVD. ⋯ A sensitivity analysis was conducted to validate the reliability of the results. Evidence from the European population has indicated a correlation between AS and heart failure, hypertension, and ischemic stroke. Further investigations should be conducted to explore the underlying mechanisms of action.