The causal relationship between white blood cell counts and hepatocellular carcinoma: a Mendelian randomization study

Abstract

Background Most of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) arises on the background of chronic inflammation. The presence of infiltrating inflammatory cells is associated with tumour initiation, progression and clinical response to treatment. The influence of white blood cell (WBC) subtype counts on HCC progression remains unclear. Methods In this study, we performed a Mendelian randomization (MR) study with the validation of two datasets. The summary data for WBC counts were extracted from a recent large GWAS of individuals of European ancestry. The GWAS data related to HCC were obtained from the UK Biobank (UKB). Univariable and multivariable MR analyses were used to identify risk factors genetically associated with HCC risks. Results In the discovery dataset, multivariable MR analysis revealed that sum basophil neutrophil counts had an independent causal effect on the occurrence of HCC, with the sum basophil neutrophil counts as follows: (OR = 0.437, P = 0.003, CI 0.252–0.757). Similarly, in the validation dataset, total basophil neutrophil counts were also been identified as an independent risk factor for HCC. The sum basophil neutrophil counts were as follows: (OR = 0.574, P = 0.021, CI 0.358–0.920). Conclusion In the European population, genetically predicted lower total basophil neutrophil counts might be an independent risk factor for HCC.

Liver function indicators and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma: a bidirectional mendelian randomization study

“…HCC causes a heavy disease burden and is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide ( Siegel et al, 2023 ). Risk factors for the occurrence of HCC are numerous, including HBV and HCV infection, alcohol consumption, aflatoxin B1, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease ( Pan et al, 2022 ; Liu et al, 2023a ; Pan et al, 2023 ). These conditions are associated with liver dysfunction and can lead to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and eventually HCC ( Kotsiliti et al, 2023 ).…”

“…Because the genotype of an individual is determined at conception and cannot be changed, there is no possibility of reverse causation or confounding bias being responsible for an association between genotype and disease ( Davey Smith and Hemani, 2014 ). In recent years, many MR studies have emerged to provide clinical evidence ( Chen et al, 2022 ; Liu et al, 2022 ; Pan et al, 2022 ). This proves that MR is a reliable research method to solve some problems, including finding risk factors for diseases.…”

Sự Thay Đổi Một Số Loại Bạch Cầu Máu Ngoại Vi Ở Bệnh Nhân Ung Thư Biểu Mô Tế Bào Gan Nhiễm Virus Viêm Gan B

“…UTBM tế bào gan thường phát triển trên nền bệnh viêm gan mạn tính và xơ gan. Các tế bào viêm xâm nhập có liên quan đến sự hình thành, tiến triển của khối u và đáp ứng điều trị, trong đó các tế bào bạch cầu tham gia vào quá trình đáp ứng viêm [4]. Hiện chưa có nhiều nghiên cứu về đặc điểm công thức bạch cầu máu ngoại vi ở bệnh nhân UTBM tế bào gan nhiễm HBV.…”

Causal associations between type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic hepatitis C: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study of East Asians

“…Based on genetic variations randomly passed on from parents to offspring 14 , Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis has the bene t of minimizing bias and confounding factors as an approach for integrating summary data from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) 15 . Consequently, to establish a causal relationship between exposure and complex outcome components, MR analysis has gained popularity 16 and provides an alternative solution to RCTs.…”