Ma Q, Xu G. Causal association between cardiovascular proteins and membranous nephropathy: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization.
Int Urol Nephrol 2024;
56:2705-2714. [PMID:
38493415 DOI:
10.1007/s11255-024-04004-w]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE
Multiple circulating proteins have been reported to participate in human diseases. However, the association between cardiovascular proteins and membranous nephropathy (MN) remained profoundly elusive.
METHODS
A bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted to explore the causal correlation between ninety cardiovascular proteins and MN. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) data of cardiovascular proteins and MN were all from European research. Inverse variance weighted (IVW) was used as the main approach. Moreover, MR-Egger, weighted median, weighted mode, and simple mode were also performed. Cochrane's Q test, MR-Egger, and MR-PRESSO were conducted for sensitivity analysis.
RESULTS
According to IVW method, fatty acid-binding protein and thrombomodulin (TM) were identified as risk factors for MN, while a protective role was detected in tissue-type plasminogen activator. Additionally, MN was associated with an elevated level of macrophage colony-stimulating factor 1, stem cell factor, TM, and tissue factor. Reversely, MN was also correlated with a downregulated level of beta-nerve growth factor, Cathepsin D, hepatocyte growth factor, interleukin-6 receptor subunit alpha, macrophage colony-stimulating factor 1, and myeloperoxidase. In the sensitivity analysis, no significant pleiotropy and heterogeneity was detected.
CONCLUSION
This was the first study to reveal the causal association between cardiovascular proteins and MN. These specific cardiovascular proteins could be novel biomarkers for MN, and is helpful for timely identify the risk of other diseases that might result from MN. However, further clinical studies are needed to confirm our results.
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