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The following is a summary of “Causality between autoimmune diseases and schizophrenia: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study,” published in the November 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Duan et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study on the causal link between autoimmune diseases and schizophrenia with conflicting results, requiring further research to clarify the relationship.
They conducted a Mendelian randomization analysis using GWAS data from individuals of European descent to explore the relationship between schizophrenia and 10 autoimmune diseases. They employed several MR methods, including inverse variance weighted, MR-RAPS, Bayesian weighted MR, constrained maximum likelihood, debiased IVW, MR-Egger, and weighted median, with sensitivity analyses to ensure result reliability.
The results showed that genetically predicted ankylosing spondylitis increased schizophrenia risk, while celiac disease, type 1 diabetes, and lupus were linked to a lower risk. Reverse MR analysis revealed that schizophrenia increased the risk of ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis, with no link to multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis.
They supported a causal link between autoimmune diseases and schizophrenia, despite conflicting observational reports. They concluded that further research is needed to identify mechanisms underlying immune-mediated schizophrenia.
Source: bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-024-06287-w
