Chai WH, Ma Y, Li JJ, Guo F, Wu YZ, Liu JW. Immune cell signatures and causal association with irritable bowel syndrome: A mendelian randomization study. World J Clin Cases 2024; 12(17): 3094-3104 [PMID: 38898868 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i17.3094]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Jiang-Wei Liu, PhD, Chief Doctor, Key Laboratory of Special Environmental Medicine of Xinjiang, General Hospital of Xinjiang Military Command of the PLA, No. 359 Youhao North Road, Urumqi 830000, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. ljw273273@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Clinical and Translational Research
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (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: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Clin Cases. Jun 16, 2024; 12(17): 3094-3104 Published online Jun 16, 2024. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i17.3094
Immune cell signatures and causal association with irritable bowel syndrome: A mendelian randomization study
Wei-Hao Chai, Yan Ma, Jia-Jia Li, Fei Guo, Yi-Zhan Wu, Jiang-Wei Liu
Wei-Hao Chai, Yi-Zhan Wu, Department of Graduate School, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830000, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China
Yan Ma, Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830054, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China
Jia-Jia Li, Jiang-Wei Liu, Key Laboratory of Special Environmental Medicine of Xinjiang, General Hospital of Xinjiang Military Command of the PLA, Urumqi 830000, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China
Fei Guo, Department of Emergency Trauma Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830054, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China
Co-first authors: Wei-Hao Chai and Yan Ma.
Author contributions: Chai WH and Ma Y contributed equally to this work; Chai WH, Ma Y, Liu JW, and Li JJ designed the research study; Chai WH, Ma Y, and Guo F performed the research; Chai WH, Ma Y and Wu YZ analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript; All authors have read and approve the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author declares that there were no commercial or financial conflicts of interest during the execution of this study. The author has not received any funding or other forms of sponsorship directly related to this study from any organization or individual. In addition, the author declares that there are no patents, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights, and there are no non-financial conflicts of interest related to this study.
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: Jiang-Wei Liu, PhD, Chief Doctor, Key Laboratory of Special Environmental Medicine of Xinjiang, General Hospital of Xinjiang Military Command of the PLA, No. 359 Youhao North Road, Urumqi 830000, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. ljw273273@163.com
Received: December 18, 2023 Revised: February 10, 2024 Accepted: April 29, 2024 Published online: June 16, 2024 Processing time: 169 Days and 4.5 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
The mucosal barrier's immune-brain interactions, pivotal for neural development and function, are increasingly recognized for their potential causal and therapeutic relevance to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Prior studies linking immune inflammation with IBS have been inconsistent. To further elucidate this relationship, we conducted a Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis of 731 immune cell markers to dissect the influence of various immune phenotypes on IBS. Our goal was to deepen our understanding of the disrupted brain-gut axis in IBS and to identify novel therapeutic targets.
AIM
To leverage publicly available data to perform MR analysis on 731 immune cell markers and explore their impact on IBS. We aimed to uncover immunophenotypic associations with IBS that could inform future drug development and therapeutic strategies.
METHODS
We performed a comprehensive two-sample MR analysis to evaluate the causal relationship between immune cell markers and IBS. By utilizing genetic data from public databases, we examined the causal associations between 731 immune cell markers, encompassing median fluorescence intensity, relative cell abundance, absolute cell count, and morphological parameters, with IBS susceptibility. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to validate our findings and address potential heterogeneity and pleiotropy.
RESULTS
Bidirectional false discovery rate correction indicated no significant influence of IBS on immunophenotypes. However, our analysis revealed a causal impact of IBS on 30 out of 731 immune phenotypes (P < 0.05). Nine immune phenotypes demonstrated a protective effect against IBS [inverse variance weighting (IVW) < 0.05, odd ratio (OR) < 1], while 21 others were associated with an increased risk of IBS onset (IVW ≥ 0.05, OR ≥ 1).
CONCLUSION
Our findings underscore a substantial genetic correlation between immune cell phenotypes and IBS, providing valuable insights into the pathophysiology of the condition. These results pave the way for the development of more precise biomarkers and targeted therapies for IBS. Furthermore, this research enriches our comprehension of immune cell roles in IBS pathogenesis, offering a foundation for more effective, personalized treatment approaches. These advancements hold promise for improving IBS patient quality of life and reducing the disease burden on individuals and their families.
Core Tip: Our investigation has uncovered a substantial genetic link between immune cell phenotypes and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), offering critical insights into the disease's pathophysiological underpinnings. This finding is pivotal for advancing our comprehension of IBS and paves the way for innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Moreover, this knowledge contributes to the development of more precise biomarkers and treatment modalities tailored to IBS, potentially leading to more efficacious personalized care plans for patients. These advancements are anticipated to enhance the quality of life for individuals suffering from IBS and alleviate the disease's burden on patients and their families.
