Dissecting the causal effects of interleukin receptor-related factors and the risk of developing endometriosis: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study

Abstract

This study investigates the causal associations between interleukin receptor-related factors and the development of endometriosis, as their etiology and pathophysiology remain largely unknown. A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach was employed to analyze genetic variants associated with interleukin receptor related factors as instrumental variables (IVs). The F-values have to be > 10 to exclude weak instrumental bias. The primary analysis was conducted using the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method, with confirmation using the MR-Egger, weighted median (WM), simple mode, and weighted mode methods. Sensitivity analyses were performed to ensure robustness, including tests for heterogeneity, pleiotropy, and leave-one-out. Multivariable MR (MVMR) analysis was used to assess the direct and mediated effects of immune cells. The results indicated significant causal associations between interleukin receptor factors prot-a-1542 (IL-6Rβ), prot-a-1530 (IL-3Rα), and prot-b-38 (IL-1RL1) and endometriosis. Reverse MR analysis showed that endometriosis did not significantly affect prot-a-1530 or prot-b-38. After adjusting for confounders like body mass index and smoking, these factors retained their significance. Additionally, immune cells(ebi-a-GCST90001951) were found to mediate the relationship between prot-b-38 and endometriosis, with an indirect effect accounting for approximately 6.38% of the total effect. This study provides new insights into endometriosis mechanisms involving specific interleukin receptor factors.

Keywords

• Interleukin receptors
• endometriosis
• Mendelian randomization
• causality
• immune cells