The following is a summary of “Circulating Proteins and IgA Nephropathy: A Multiancestry Proteome-Wide Mendelian Randomization Study,” published in the April 2024 issue of Nephrology by Tang et al.
IgA nephropathy is better treated now because of rapidly evolving therapeutic options, but early diagnosis and providing targeted treatment remains challenging.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study using large-scale genetic studies across different ancestry populations to find specific plasma proteins linked to IgA nephropathy.
They used Mendelian randomization and colocalization analyses to estimate the putative causal effect of 2,615 proteins in Europeans and 235 in East Asians for their impact on IgA nephropathy. A two-stage network Mendelian randomization and multi-trait colocalization analysis were performed. Protein-altering variant annotation and a protein-protein interaction network were used for validation.
The results showed putative causal effects involving 184 protein-disease pairs in Europeans and 13 in East Asians. Two such pairs (CFHR1 and FCRL2) showed a shared causal impact. Colocalization analysis supported therapeutic target prioritization, suggesting four drug-repurposing opportunities. The protein-protein interaction network revealed critical medication pathways.
Investigators concluded that various blood proteins linked to IgA nephropathy were discovered and highlighted potential drug targets that require further study.
Source: journals.lww.com/jasn/abstract/9900/circulating_proteins_and_iga_nephropathy.304.aspx