Causal relationship between circulating lipid traits and periodontitis: univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization

Gaofu Hu; Chengjie Song; Yuxuan Yang; Wenhao Wang; Ao Wang; Mei Huang; Lihong Lei; Yanmin Wu

doi:10.3389/fendo.2023.1214232

Causal relationship between circulating lipid traits and periodontitis: univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Jul 31:14:1214232. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1214232. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Gaofu Hu¹, Chengjie Song¹, Yuxuan Yang¹, Wenhao Wang¹, Ao Wang¹, Mei Huang², Lihong Lei¹, Yanmin Wu¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Periodontology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
² Periodontology Unit, University College London Eastman Dental Institute, London, United Kingdom.

Abstract

Introduction: The correlation between dyslipidemia and periodontitis is revealed through epidemiological studies. However, the results are affected by several confounding factors. This study aims to elucidate the genetic causal association between circulating lipid traits and periodontitis by two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

Methods: After the different screening processes, two cohorts of circulating lipid traits from the UK Biobank were used as exposure data, including five circulating lipid traits. The Periodontitis cohort was selected from the GeneLifestyle Interactions in Dental Endpoints (GLIDE) consortium as outcome data. In univariable MR, the inverse variance weighted (IVW) was used in conjunction with six additional analytical methods to assess causality. The Cochran Q test, I_GX ² statistic, MR-PRESSO, and MR-Egger intercept were used to quantify heterogeneity and pleiotropy. The multivariable MR-IVW (MVMR-IVW) and MVMR-robust were mainly used as analytical methods in the multiple MR analyses.

Results: The IVW estimates showed that genetically predicted Apolipoprotein A1 (apo A1) [odds ratio (OR)=1.158, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.007-1.331, P-value=0.040] was potentially associated with the risk of periodontitis, but the statistical power of the results was low. Multivariable MR analysis did not reveal any significant causal relationship between apo A1 and periodontitis (OR=0.72, 95% CI=0.36-1.41, P-value=0.34). In the validation cohort, there was also no significant causal relationship between apo A1 and periodontitis (OR=1.079, 95% CI=0.903-1.290, P-value=0.401). Meanwhile, genetically predicted Apolipoprotein B (apo B), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglyceride (TG) (all P-values>0.05) were not significantly associated with the risk of periodontitis causal inference.

Conclusion: This MR analysis was unable to provide genetic evidence for the influence of these five circulating lipid traits on periodontitis. However, a more extensive study with a more comprehensive circulating lipid profile and periodontitis data is needed due to study limitations.

Keywords: Mendelian randomization; causality; genetic correlation; lipid traits; periodontitis.

MeSH terms

Apolipoprotein A-I*
Apolipoproteins B
Cholesterol, HDL
Humans
Mendelian Randomization Analysis
Periodontitis* / epidemiology
Periodontitis* / genetics

Substances

Apolipoprotein A-I
Apolipoproteins B
Cholesterol, HDL