The causal association between iron status and the risk of autism: A Mendelian randomization study

Association of coffee and tea consumption with osteoporosis risk: A prospective study from the UK biobank

OBJECTIVE

The association of coffee and tea consumption with osteoporosis is highly controversial, and few studies have focused on the combined effects of the two beverages. This study aimed to investigate the independent and combined associations of coffee and tea consumption with osteoporosis risk.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study involving 487,594 participants aged 38-73 years from the UK Biobank was conducted. Participants with reported coffee and tea consumption and without osteoporosis at baseline were included. Coffee and tea consumption were assessed via a touch-screen questionnaire at baseline. Newly diagnosed osteoporosis during the follow-up period, defined based on ICD-10 codes (M80-M82), was the primary outcome. Cox regression analyses were utilized to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs). Dose-effect associations were assessed using restricted cubic spline analysis.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 12.8 years, 15,211 cases of osteoporosis were identified. Compared to individuals without coffee or tea consumption, drinking coffee was associated with an HR of 0.93 (95 % CI: 0.89-0.96), and tea consumption with an HR of 0.86 (95 % CI: 0.83-0.90). Continuous trends were significant for both coffee and tea consumption, showing non-linear associations with osteoporosis incidence. Moderate consumption, such as 1-2 cups of coffee or 3-4 cups of tea per day, was associated with a lower incidence of osteoporosis, with HRs of 0.9 (95 % CI: 0.86-0.94) and 0.85 (95 % CI: 0.81-0.90), respectively. Additionally, combined coffee and tea consumption displayed a U-shaped association with osteoporosis risk, with the lowest risk observed in individuals who consumed 1-2 cups of both beverages daily, with an HR of 0.68 (95 % CI: 0.61-0.75).

CONCLUSION

Our findings highlight the potential benefits of moderate coffee and tea consumption in reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

Causal relationship between iron deficiency anemia and asthma: a Mendelian randomization study

Background

Observational studies have suggested an association between iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and asthma, which may affect the occurrence of asthma. However, whether IDA is a new management goal for asthma remains to be determined.

Objective

We conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization(MR)analysis to assess the association between IDA and asthma.

Methods

We performed a two-sample MR study to assess a causal relationship between IDA (ncase = 12,434, ncontrol = 59,827) and asthma (ncase = 20,629, ncontrol = 135,449). Inverse variance weighted (IVW) was used as the primary method for the analyses. Furthermore, we used weighted medians and MR-Egger to enhance robustness. Data linking genetic variation to IDA and asthma were combined to assess the impact of IDA on asthma risk.

Results

There are five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used as genetic tool variables for exposure factors. Genetically determined IDA was significantly associated with an increased risk of asthma (OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.09-1.72, p = 0.007). There was little heterogeneity in the MR studies and no evidence of level pleiotropy was found.

Conclusions

In our MR study, our findings emphasize that IDA may be associated with a high risk of asthma, indicating a potential role for IDA in the development of asthma. Future research needs to elucidate its potential mechanisms to pave the way for the prevention and treatment of asthma.

[Advances in Mendelian randomization studies on autism spectrum disorder]

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder with onset in infancy or early childhood. Mendelian randomization (MR) is a statistical method used to infer causal relationships between exposures and outcomes. This article summarizes MR studies related to ASD. Existing research supports a causal relationship between maternal inflammatory bowel disease in children with ASD, parental education levels, screen time exposure, obesity, insomnia, serum transferrin, decreased blood selenium, abnormal signals in brain functional MRI, interleukin-6, phosphodiesterase 2A, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 3, mitochondrial ribosomal protein L33, serotonin, and ASD. However, it does not support a causal relationship between parental rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, neonatal jaundice in children with ASD, cytomegalovirus infection, asthma, oral ulcers, vitamin D levels, and ASD. This article reviews the etiological factors related to ASD and MR studies, aiming to explore and deepen the understanding of the pathophysiology of ASD. It provides strong statistical support for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of ASD, and offers new methods and strategies for the etiological analysis of complex traits.

Osteoarthritis year in review 2023: genetics, genomics, and epigenetics

OBJECTIVE

To elucidate the scientific advances made in the last 12 months within the realm of osteoarthritis genetics, genomics, and epigenetics. This review paper highlights major research publications that enhance our current understanding of the role of genetics, genomics, and epigenetics in osteoarthritis.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted on pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov on "March 17, 2023", using the following keywords: "osteoarthritis" in combination with any of these terms: "genetic(s)", "mutation(s)", "genomic(s)", "epigenetic(s)", "DNA methylation", "noncoding RNA", "lncRNA", "circular RNA", "microRNA", "transcriptomic(s)", "RNA sequencing", "single cell RNA sequencing", or "single nucleus RNA sequencing". The selection comprised original research articles published in the English language between the OARSI congresses of 2022 and 2023.

RESULTS

A total of 2178 research articles were identified, which subsequently reduced to 67 unique articles relevant to the field. Current trends in osteoarthritis genetics research involve meta-analyses of various cohorts to explore the impact of gene variants on osteoarthritis-related outcomes, such as pain. Early developmental changes within the joint were also found to influence osteoarthritis through genetic variations. Researchers also prioritize testing the mechanisms and functions of miRNAs, circRNAs, and lncRNAs. Potential drug targets began to emerge; however, independent validation studies are lacking. Single cell RNA sequencing studies revealed unique immune cell populations in the knee; however, no study reported single nucleus RNA sequencing analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

This review focused on recent advances in the above-mentioned themes within the field of osteoarthritis. These advances improve our understanding of the disease's complexity and guide us toward functional assessments of genetic/epigenetic outcomes and toward their translational and clinical applications.