Unveiling the Causal Link of herpes virus infection and Cutaneous
Leukocytoclastic Angiitis: Insights from Mendelian Randomization
Abstract
Cutaneous leukocytoclastic angiitis (CLA) is a condition of clinical
interest, with previous studies suggesting an association with herpes
virus infections. This study aimed to investigate the causal association
relationship between the virus and CLA. Genetic variants linked to the
virus were retrieved from the IEU open GWAS project and FinnGen
database. Data on CLA were sourced from the FinnGen consortium R7.
Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis, including the IVW, MR‐Egger, and
weighted median methods, was conducted. Sensitivity analyses were
performed to ensure result accuracy. Among the six viruses investigated,
only human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) demonstrated a causal association with
CLA(odds ratio (OR) = 1.886, 95% confidence interval (CI) =
1.053–3.378, p = 0.033), indicating that HHV-6 infection significantly
elevates the risk of CLA. Furthermore, both IVW and MR-Egger tests for
heterogeneity confirmed homogeneous MR analysis results without evidence
of horizontal pleiotropy (p>0.05). No significant causal
relationship was observed for other viruses, such as herpes simplex
virus (HSV), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), cytomegalovirus (CMV) and
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Our MR analyses provide strong support for a
causal relationship between HHV-6 and CLA, shedding light on the
etiology of this condition and highlighting the potential therapeutic
implications of targeting HHV-6 in CLA treatment.