Work

Mediating factors between autoimmune thyroiditis and breast cancer: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: The association between autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) and breast cancer was still confused and the mediators was not cleared. In this study, we designed to search a probably causality and mediators between AIT and breast cancer. METHOD: . Inverse variance weighted (IVW) is adopted as the main method. RESULTS: When AIT was exposed, all the methods indicated that AIT increased the risk of breast cancer (OR values were all > 1 and P < 0.05). When breast cancer was exposed, no significant result was found. Single-factor MR analysis was used for 1400 metabolites and 211 gut microbiome, and showed AIT has a significant causal relationship with 7-methylxanthine IVW: (95% CI 0.001-0.059; p = 0.039). In reverse, there was no causality. 7-Methylxanthine has a causal relationship with breast cancer (95% CI 1.032-1.203; p = 0.006). Multi-factor MR analysis was adopted by adding of 7-methylxanthine to AIT on Breast cancer, the result was still significant, the AIT IVW (95% CI 0.007-0.055; p = 0.011), 7-methylxanthine IVW (95% CI 0.031-0.200; P = 0.007). CONCLUSION: AIT can increase the risk of breast cancer, there is no causal link in the reverse direction. Among the 1400 metabolites, 7-methylxanthine is a mediator of AIT to breast cancer. There were no mediators from AIT to breast cancer in the 211 gut microbiome taxa.

Source: Discover Oncology

DOI: 10.1007/s12672-025-03206-7

Authors: Pei Xin, Lei Wang, Xianyang Chen, Huazhi Li, Nan Jiang

Institutions: Beijing Chuiyangliu Hospital, Tsinghua University, Capital Medical University, Beijing Chest Hospital

Language: English

Topic: Genetic Associations and Epidemiology

Subfield: Genetics

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,690