Bidirectional Mendelian randomization reveals causal immune cell phenotypes in rheumatoid arthritis.

ABSTRACT: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by persistent inflammation in synovial joints and influenced by genetic and environmental factors. The immune system, comprising various cells that either exacerbate or reduce inflammation, plays a central role in RA pathogenesis. Despite extensive research, the causal relationships between immune cell phenotypes and RA remain unclear. We employed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to investigate the causal associations between 731 immune cell phenotypes and RA. Genetic variants, carefully selected based on rigorous criteria, served as instrumental variables to ensure analytical validity. Data on RA were derived from the FinnGen database, whereas immune cell phenotype data were obtained from the genome-

SUBMITTER: Huang L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11813058 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature