Causal associations between chronic spontaneous urticaria and thyroid
function indicators on different ethnic groups: a bidirectional
two-sample mendelian randomization analysis
Abstract
Background: Epidemiological evidence hints at a connection
between thyroid dysfunction and chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), but
the causality is obscure. This study applies a two-sample Mendelian
randomization (MR) method to explore the causality between them.
Methods: We utilized bidirectional MR to explore the causality
between CSU and thyroid autoimmunity in Europeans and East Asians. The
SNPs examined in this study were sourced from the Open GWAS database,
the ThyroidOmics Consortium, the FinnGen Consortium, and BioBank Japan.
In the forward MR analysis, we considered thyroid dysfunction, AITD, and
thyroid function indicators—FT3, FT4, TT3, ln (FT3/FT4), ln (TT3/FT4),
TSH and TPOab—as exposures, with CSU as the outcome in a cohort of
398,763 individuals. Conversely, in the reverse MR analysis, CSU served
as the exposure, and thyroid function phenotypes were the outcomes. The
primary analytical method was IVW, complemented by sensitivity analyses
to evaluate pleiotropy and robustness. Results: IVW analysis
indicates that genetic predisposition to thyroid disorders is linked to
increase CSU risk in Europeans, with significant odds ratios noted for
Graves’ disease, hyperthyroidism, and Hashimoto’s disease. Reverse MR
suggests possible causal links between a genetic propensity for CSU and
a decrease in hyperthyroidism and the ln (FT3/FT4) ratio. No evidence
was found linking thyroid function phenotypes with CSU in East Asians.
Conclusion: Our research indicates that genetic
susceptibilities to thyroid disorders are associated with a higher risk
of CSU in European populations, with no observed link in East Asian
populations. These findings may offer new avenues for future
investigation into the relationship between thyroid autoimmunity and
CSU.