Liu Q, Jiang Y, Frisell T, Stridh P, Shchetynsky K, Alfredsson L, Kockum I, Manouchehrinia A, Jiang X. Shared aetiology underlying multiple sclerosis and other immune mediated inflammatory diseases: Swedish familial co-aggregation and large-scale genetic correlation analyses.
J Autoimmun 2024;
148:103294. [PMID:
39084084 DOI:
10.1016/j.jaut.2024.103294]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
While multiple sclerosis (MS) affects less than 1 % of the general population, immune mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) collectively influence 5-10 % of the population. Understanding familial co-aggregation of MS and other IMIDs carries important clinical and public health implications that will enable early detection and personalized treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the familial association between MS and other IMIDs and to quantify their shared genetic basis.
DESIGN
Register-based multi-generational nested case-control familial co-aggregation study and genetic correlation study.
SETTING
Sweden.
PARTICIPANTS
24,995 individuals with MS matched with 253,870 controls and 1,283,502 first-degree relatives (mothers, fathers, full siblings, and offspring) for familial co-aggregation analysis; population of European ancestry for genetic correlation analysis.
MEASUREMENTS
Logistic regressions with adjustment for covariates were used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) of developing MS in individuals with first-degree relatives diagnosed with IMIDs compared to those without such family history. Pairwise genome-wide genetic correlations were estimated with linkage-disequilibrium score regression.
RESULTS
We observed an OR for familial co-aggregation of MS of 1.09 (95 % confidence interval (95%CI) = 1.07-1.11) in families with IMIDs history compared to families without. The association remained broadly consistent after stratification by sex concordance of relative pairs and by kinships. 18 IMID subtypes showed a familial association with MS, 7 of which including other acute widespread myelin destruction, encephalitis or myelitis or encephalomyelitis, inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmune thyroid diseases, systemic lupus erythematosus, other inflammatory system diseases, and sarcoidosis withstood multiple correction. Genetic correlations further revealed a shared genetic basis between 7 IMID subtypes with MS.
CONCLUSION
We demonstrated a modest familial co-aggregation of MS with several IMIDs, and such association is likely due to shared genetic factors.
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