Letter to the Editor
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 7, 2024; 30(37): 4156-4159
Published online Oct 7, 2024. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i37.4156
Evaluating genetic insights into ulcerative colitis and anxiety: Limitations and future directions
Ying Peng, Xi-Dai Long
Ying Peng, Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
Ying Peng, Department of Pathology, Shenzhen Qianhai Shekou Free Trade Zone Hospital, Shenzhen 518000, Guangdong Province, China
Ying Peng, Xi-Dai Long, Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise 533000, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
Xi-Dai Long, Department of Liver Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200000, China
Author contributions: Peng Y has made contributions to the writing of the manuscript; Peng Y and Long XD have made substantial contribution to the revising of the manuscript; all authors have approved the submitted version of the article and have agreed to be personally accountable for the author’s own contributions and to ensure that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work; all authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by Guangxi Training Program for Medical High-level Academic Leaders; Bose Talent Highland; Building Projects of Guangxi Bagui Scholars, No. Guirencaiban[2024]-39; Building Projects from the Key Laboratory of Molecular Pathology (Hepatobiliary Diseases) of Guangxi; the Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Pathology of Guangxi Colleges & Universities; and Clinical Key Specialty Building Project (For Pathology) of Guangxi; and Nanshan District Health System Science and Technology Major Project, No. NSZD2024045.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Xi-Dai Long, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, No. 18 Youjiang, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Baise 533000, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. sjtulongxd@263.net
Received: March 21, 2024
Revised: September 4, 2024
Accepted: September 13, 2024
Published online: October 7, 2024
Processing time: 188 Days and 23.1 Hours
Abstract

We reviewed the study by He et al, which investigates the genetic correlation between ulcerative colitis (UC) and anxiety using bidirectional Mendelian randomization. This study reveals a genetic link between UC and anxiety, diverging from prior research associating higher anxiety with Crohn’s disease. While the study's use of large-scale genome-wide association studies data is commendable, it faces limitations such as single nucleotide polymorphism selection biases, lack of multiple testing corrections, and a reliance on European populations. Future research should address these limitations, incorporate diverse populations, and explore psychotherapeutic interventions to improve UC management and patient outcomes.

Keywords: Ulcerative colitis; Anxiety; Mendelian randomization; Genome-wide association study; Gut-brain axis; Instrumental variables; Genetic epidemiology; Pleiotropy

Core Tip: The study by He et al highlights significant genetic associations between ulcerative colitis and anxiety, providing valuable insights into the gut-brain axis. However, it also underscores the need for further research to validate these findings and assess their clinical relevance across diverse populations. Key areas for future investigation include the cost-effectiveness of routine screening for Mendelian traits and the development of personalized treatment strategies targeting genetic and biological mechanisms.