AUTHOR=Gu Jian , Qiao Yue , Cong Shuyan 

TITLE=Causal role of immune cells on risk of Parkinson’s disease: a Mendelian randomization study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

VOLUME=16

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2024.1368374

DOI=10.3389/fnagi.2024.1368374

ISSN=1663-4365

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Background</title><p>Previous observational studies have suggested a correlation between immune cells and Parkinson’s disease (PD), yet specific investigations into the causal relationship between the two remain limited. This study aims to explore this potential causal relationship.</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Methods</title><p>We utilized genome-wide association study (GWAS) data on immune cells and Parkinson’s Disease, conducting a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). To estimate causality, we employed inverse variance weighting (IVW), MR-Egger, and weighted median (WM) methods. For sensitivity analysis, we used Cochran’s Q-test, MR-Egger intercept, leave-one-out analysis, and funnel plots.</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Results</title><p>After false discovery rate (FDR) correction, the effects of PD on immune cells, and vice versa, were not statistically significant. These include CX3CR1 on CD14+ CD16-monocyte (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.86–0.96, <italic>p</italic> = 0.0003 PFDR = 0.152), CD62L-CD86+ myeloid DC AC (OR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.89–0.97, <italic>p</italic> = 0.0005, PFDR = 0.152),CD11b on Mo (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.03–1.13, <italic>p</italic> = 0.001, PFDR = 0.152), CD38 on igd+ cd24− (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.06–1.23, <italic>p</italic> = 0.001, PFDR = 0.152), D14+ cd16+ monocyte %monocyte (OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.04–1.17, <italic>p</italic> = 0.001, PFDR = 0.159). Additionally, PD may be causally related to the immune phenotype of CM CD8br %T cell (beta = 0.10, 95% CI = 1.14–1.16, <italic>p</italic> = 0.0004, PFDR = 0.151), SSC-A on monocyte (beta = 0.11, 95% CI = 1.15–1.18, <italic>p</italic> = 0.0004, PFDR = 0.1 SSC-A on monocyte). No pleiotropy was determined.</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Conclusion</title><p>This study suggested a potential causal link between immune cells and Parkinson’s Disease through the MR method, which could provide a new direction for the mechanistic research and clinical treatment of PD.</p></sec>