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Key Points Question Is there evidence for a potential relationship between inflammation and brain structure, and is this relevant for schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders? Findings In this mendelian randomization study including 20 688 participants in the UK Biobank, genetically predicted levels of interleukin 6 were associated with gray matter volume and cortical thickness primarily in the middle temporal gyrus and superior frontal region. The middle temporal gyrus overexpressed a number of genes relevant to interleukin 6 pathway proteins and neuropsychiatric disorder ontologies, including schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. Meaning This study found that inflammation may be associated with brain structure and may be an early predeterminant of neuropsychiatric conditions, which has important implications for identification of risk and novel treatments.

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