AUTHOR=Otomo Nao , Khanshour Anas M. , Koido Masaru , Takeda Kazuki , Momozawa Yukihide , Kubo Michiaki , Kamatani Yoichiro , Herring John A. , Ogura Yoji , Takahashi Yohei , Minami Shohei , Uno Koki , Kawakami Noriaki , Ito Manabu , Sato Tatsuya , Watanabe Kei , Kaito Takashi , Yanagida Haruhisa , Taneichi Hiroshi , Harimaya Katsumi , Taniguchi Yuki , Shigematsu Hideki , Iida Takahiro , Demura Satoru , Sugawara Ryo , Fujita Nobuyuki , Yagi Mitsuru , Okada Eijiro , Hosogane Naobumi , Kono Katsuki , Nakamura Masaya , Chiba Kazuhiro , Kotani Toshiaki , Sakuma Tsuyoshi , Akazawa Tsutomu , Suzuki Teppei , Nishida Kotaro , Kakutani Kenichiro , Tsuji Taichi , Sudo Hideki , Iwata Akira , Inami Satoshi , Wise Carol A. , Kochi Yuta , Matsumoto Morio , Ikegawa Shiro , Watanabe Kota , Terao Chikashi 

TITLE=Evidence of causality of low body mass index on risk of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a Mendelian randomization study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2023.1089414

DOI=10.3389/fendo.2023.1089414

ISSN=1664-2392

ABSTRACT=Introduction: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a disorder with a three-dimensional spinal deformity and is a common disease affecting 1-5% of adolescents. AIS is also known as a complex disease involved in environmental and genetic factors. A relation between AIS and body mass index (BMI) has been epidemiologically and genetically suggested. However, the causal relationship between AIS and BMI remains to be elucidated. Material and methods: Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed using summary statistics from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of AIS (Japanese cohort, 5,327 cases, 73,884 controls; US cohort: 1,468 cases, 20,158 controls) and BMI (Biobank Japan: 173430 individual; meta-analysis of genetic investigation of anthropometric traits and UK Biobank: 806334 individuals; European Children cohort: 39620 individuals; Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology: 49335 individuals). In MR analyses evaluating the effect of BMI on AIS, the association between BMI and AIS summary statistics was evaluated using the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method, weighted median method, and Egger regression (MR-Egger) methods in Japanese. Results: Significant causality of genetically decreased BMI on risk of AIS was estimated: IVW method (Estimate (beta) [SE] = -0.56 [0.16], p = 1.8 × 10-3), weighted median method (beta = -0.56 [0.18], p = 8.5 × 10-3) and MR-Egger method (beta = -1.50 [0.43], p = 4.7 × 10-3), respectively. Consistent results were also observed when using the US AIS summary statistic in three MR methods; however, no significant causality was observed when evaluating the effect of AIS on BMI. Conclusions: Mendelian randomization analysis using large studies of AIS and GWAS for BMI summary statistics revealed that genetic variants contributing to low BMI have a causal effect on the onset of AIS. This result was consistent with those of epidemiological studies and would contribute to the early detection of AIS.