Mendelian Randomization Reveals: Triglycerides and Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Shun Ding; Yixuan Liu; Tingting Duan; Peng Fang; Qiling Tong; Huawei Li; Huiqian Yu

doi:10.3390/bioengineering11050438

Bioengineering (Apr 2024)

Mendelian Randomization Reveals: Triglycerides and Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Shun Ding,
Yixuan Liu,
Tingting Duan,
Peng Fang,
Qiling Tong,
Huawei Li,
Huiqian Yu

Affiliations

Shun Ding: ENT Institute and Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye and ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
Yixuan Liu: ENT Institute and Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye and ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
Tingting Duan: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 570102, China
Peng Fang: Department of Orthopedics, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210002, China
Qiling Tong: ENT Institute and Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye and ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
Huawei Li: ENT Institute and Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye and ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
Huiqian Yu: ENT Institute and Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye and ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering11050438
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11, no. 5
p. 438

Abstract

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Background: Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a multifactorial disorder with potential links to various physiological systems, including the cardiovascular system via blood lipid levels such as triglycerides (TG). This study investigates the causal relationship between TG levels and SNHL using Mendelian randomization (MR), which offers a method to reduce confounding and reverse causality by using genetic variants as instrumental variables. Methods: Utilizing publicly available genome-wide association study (GWAS) data, we performed a two-sample MR analysis. The initial analysis unveiled a causal relationship between TG (GWAS ID: ebi-a-GCST90018975) and SNHL (GWAS ID: finn b-H8_HL_SEN-NAS). Subsequent analysis validated this through MR with a larger sample size for TG (GWAS ID: ieu-b-111) and SNHL. To conduct the MR analysis, we utilized several methods including inverse-variance weighted (IVW), MR Egger, weighted median, and weighted mode. We also employed Cochrane’s Q test to identify any heterogeneity in the MR results. To detect horizontal pleiotropy, we conducted the MR-Egger intercept test and MR pleiotropy residual sum and outliers (MR-PRESSO) test. We performed a leave-one-out analysis to assess the sensitivity of this association. Finally, a meta-analysis of the MR results was undertaken. Results: Our study found a significant positive correlation between TG and SNHL, with OR values of 1.14 (95% CI: 1.07–1.23, p p p > 0.05), and a leave-one-out test confirmed the stability and robustness of this association. The meta-analysis combining the initial and replicate analyses showed a significant causal effect with OR values of 1.11 (95% CI: 1.06–1.16, p = 0.01). Conclusion: These findings indicate TG as a risk factor for SNHL, suggesting potential pathways for prevention and intervention in populations at risk. This conclusion underscores the importance of managing TG levels as a strategy to mitigate the risk of developing SNHL.

Published in Bioengineering

ISSN: 2306-5354 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Technology; Science: Biology (General)
Website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/bioengineering

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