The potential causal association between systemic lupus erythematosus and endocrine and metabolic disorders in the East Asian population: A bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study

Abstract

Objectives

Observational studies indicate a significant correlation between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and endocrine and metabolic disorders, but the causal association between SLE and endocrine and metabolic disorders remains unclear due to the reverse causality and confounding biases commonly presented in conventional observational research. This study endeavors to uncover the causal association between SLE and three common endocrine and metabolic disorders, including Graves’ disease (GD), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and osteoporosis (OP).

Methods

We used genome-wide association study data for SLE and three endocrine and metabolic disorders in an East Asian population, employing bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis and sensitivity analysis to ascertain the causal association between SLE and endocrine and metabolic disorders.

Results

A multiplicative random-effect inverse-variance weighted approach revealed a significant positive correlation between SLE and an elevated risk of GD with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.12 (95% CI: 1.04–1.22, p < .01), and inverse-variance weighted (IVW) analysis also indicated that SLE increased the risk of OP with an OR of 1.035 (95% CI: 1.003–1.068, p < .05). Additionally, GD causally affected SLE in an IVW analysis after Bonferroni correction, with an OR of 1.33 (95% CI: 1.19–1.49, p < .05/3), but the application of multivariable MR analysis resulted in the absence of a causal association of GD on SLE (OR 1.047, 95% CI: 0.952–1.151, p > .05). Lastly, the robustness and validity of the findings were verified through a sensitivity analysis.

Conclusions

We confirmed that SLE has a causal effect on GD as well as OP, but no evidence exists to substantiate a causal link between SLE and T2DM. Our study offers valuable contributions for uncovering the etiology of SLE and endocrine and metabolic disorders and furthering disease risk research while providing potential targets for disease monitoring and therapeutic intervention.