Mendelian randomization analysis of the causal relationship between immune cells and keloid

Jingwen Zou; Pengkhun Nov; Kunpeng Du

doi:10.4081/dr.2024.10106

Authors

Jingwen Zou Department of Dermatologic Surgery, Dermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Pengkhun Nov Department of Radiation Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7016-8285
Kunpeng Du
dkp321098@smu.edu.cn
Department of Radiation Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0684-7291

Immune cells play complex roles in the formation of keloid. We aimed to investigate the causal relationship between immune cells and keloid and provide genetic evidence for the association between immune cells and keloid risk. Based on data from GWAS, we performed a comprehensive two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis of 731 immune cell traits in 481,912 keloid cases. We used Inverse-Variance Weighted (IVW) method as the primary analysis. Then, a comprehensive sensitivity analysis was adopted to verify the results' robustness, heterogeneity, and horizontal pleiotropy. Finally, reverse MR analysis was performed. The IVW method in forward MR analysis showed that CD66b++ myeloid cell AC was negatively associated with keloid risk (OR < 1, P < 0.05). Consistently, reverse MR analysis showed keloid risk was negatively associated with CD66b++ myeloid cell AC (OR = 0.85, P = 0.012). No significant horizontal pleiotropy or heterogeneity was observed. The results of MR analysis demonstrate a bidirectional causal association between CD66b++ myeloid cell AC and keloid formation, suggesting CD66b++ myeloid cell AC is a protective factor against keloid.

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Zou, J., Nov, P., & Du, K. (2024). Mendelian randomization analysis of the causal relationship between immune cells and keloid. Dermatology Reports. https://doi.org/10.4081/dr.2024.10106