The following is the summary of “Association between psoriasis and lung cancer: two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses” published in the January 2023 issue of Pulmonary medicine by Wang, et al.

According to observational studies, Psoriasis has been linked to an increased risk of developing lung cancer. However, it is not known if psoriasis causes lung cancer. Summaries of psoriasis-related genetic information were culled from 2 distinct genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The International Lung Cancer Consortium’s GWAS were mined for genetic data on lung cancer. In order to pick the right instruments, researchers went through a series of quality assurance procedures. To evaluate the association between psoriasis and LUCA and its subtypes, squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) and adenocarcinoma, they conducted 2 distinct 2 Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses, and a meta-analysis based on the two separate MR estimates of adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

Most MR analyses showed between-SNP heterogeneity. However, not all MR analyses revealed horizontal pleiotropy. This led investigators to settle on the multiplicative random-effect inverse variance weighted (IVW-MRE) method as the principal MR technique. Psoriasis and LUCA, including its histological subtypes, were not found to have a statistically significant causative connection, according to the IVW-MRE estimates from both MR analyses. The outcomes of sensitivity studies employing four other MR techniques were comparable. 

Only 2 IVW-MRE derived MR estimations resulted in odds ratios (ORs) of 1.00 (95% CI 0.95-1.06) for LUCA, 1.01 (95% CI 0.93-1.08) for LUSC, and 0.97 (95% CI 0.90-1.06) for LUAD after meta-analysis. Their findings do not provide evidence for a genetic link between psoriasis and any subtype of lung cancer. The association between psoriasis and lung cancer is complex, thus further population-based and experimental studies are needed to understand it better.

Source: bmcpulmmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12890-022-02297-0