Association of lipid-lowering drugs with COVID-19 outcomes from a Mendelian randomization study
(2021) In eLife 10.- Abstract
Background: Lipid metabolism plays an important role in viral infections. We aimed to assess the causal effect of lipid-lowering drugs (HMGCR inhibitiors, PCSK9 inhibitiors and NPC1L1 inhibitior) on COVID-19 outcomes using 2-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) study.
Methods: We used two kinds of genetic instruments to proxy the exposure of lipid-lowering drugs, including eQTLs of drugs target genes, and genetic variants within or nearby drugs target genes associated with LDL cholesterol from GWAS. Summary-data-based MR (SMR) and inverse-variance weighted MR (IVW-MR) were used to calculate the effect estimates.
Results: SMR analysis found that a higher expression of HMGCR was associated with a higher risk of COVID-19... (More)
Background: Lipid metabolism plays an important role in viral infections. We aimed to assess the causal effect of lipid-lowering drugs (HMGCR inhibitiors, PCSK9 inhibitiors and NPC1L1 inhibitior) on COVID-19 outcomes using 2-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) study.
Methods: We used two kinds of genetic instruments to proxy the exposure of lipid-lowering drugs, including eQTLs of drugs target genes, and genetic variants within or nearby drugs target genes associated with LDL cholesterol from GWAS. Summary-data-based MR (SMR) and inverse-variance weighted MR (IVW-MR) were used to calculate the effect estimates.
Results: SMR analysis found that a higher expression of HMGCR was associated with a higher risk of COVID-19 hospitalization (OR=1.38, 95%CI=1.06-1.81). Similarly, IVW-MR analysis observed a positive association between HMGCR-mediated LDL cholesterol and COVID-19 hospitalization (OR=1.32, 95%CI=1.00-1.74). No consistent evidence from both analyses was found for other associations.
Conclusions: This 2-sample MR study suggested a potential causal relationship between HMGCR inhibition and the reduced risk of COVID-19 hospitalization.
Funding: Fujian Province Major Science and Technology Program.
(Less)
- author
- Huang, Wuqing LU ; Xiao, Jun LU ; Ji, Jianguang LU and Chen, Liangwan
- organization
- publishing date
- 2021
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- eLife
- volume
- 10
- article number
- e73873
- publisher
- eLife Sciences Publications
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85122407838
- pmid:34866576
- ISSN
- 2050-084X
- DOI
- 10.7554/eLife.73873
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- © 2021, Huang et al.
- id
- 13fdc650-b170-4c12-aa26-3b112c91f3d2
- date added to LUP
- 2021-12-09 08:21:23
- date last changed
- 2024-09-19 19:15:28
@article{13fdc650-b170-4c12-aa26-3b112c91f3d2, abstract = {{<p>Background: Lipid metabolism plays an important role in viral infections. We aimed to assess the causal effect of lipid-lowering drugs (HMGCR inhibitiors, PCSK9 inhibitiors and NPC1L1 inhibitior) on COVID-19 outcomes using 2-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) study.</p><p>Methods: We used two kinds of genetic instruments to proxy the exposure of lipid-lowering drugs, including eQTLs of drugs target genes, and genetic variants within or nearby drugs target genes associated with LDL cholesterol from GWAS. Summary-data-based MR (SMR) and inverse-variance weighted MR (IVW-MR) were used to calculate the effect estimates.</p><p>Results: SMR analysis found that a higher expression of HMGCR was associated with a higher risk of COVID-19 hospitalization (OR=1.38, 95%CI=1.06-1.81). Similarly, IVW-MR analysis observed a positive association between HMGCR-mediated LDL cholesterol and COVID-19 hospitalization (OR=1.32, 95%CI=1.00-1.74). No consistent evidence from both analyses was found for other associations.</p><p>Conclusions: This 2-sample MR study suggested a potential causal relationship between HMGCR inhibition and the reduced risk of COVID-19 hospitalization.</p><p>Funding: Fujian Province Major Science and Technology Program.</p>}}, author = {{Huang, Wuqing and Xiao, Jun and Ji, Jianguang and Chen, Liangwan}}, issn = {{2050-084X}}, language = {{eng}}, publisher = {{eLife Sciences Publications}}, series = {{eLife}}, title = {{Association of lipid-lowering drugs with COVID-19 outcomes from a Mendelian randomization study}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.73873}}, doi = {{10.7554/eLife.73873}}, volume = {{10}}, year = {{2021}}, }