Causal relationships of plasma lipids on candidiasis:a two-way Mendelian randomization analysis
DONG Lei
CHEN Rong
YAN Qiuhong
YUAN Xiaoying
Abstract：Objectives Relevant studies have shown an association between plasma lipids and the development of candidiasis,but the causal relationship is not clear at present.In this study,Mendelian randomization(MR)was used to analyze the causal relationship between plasma lipids and candidiasis.Methods The causal association of plasma lipids in candidiasis was investigated using two-way Mendelian randomization,with plasma lipids as the exposure factor and associated single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)as instrumental variables(IVs).The primary method of analysis was an inverse variance weighted(IVW)analysis,along with sensitivity analyses to test the reliability of the MR analysis results.Results Positive MR analysis demonstrated that plasma lipids ceramide(d40:1),ceramide(d40:2),phosphatidylethanolam-ine(18:0_0:0),phosphatidylcholine(16:1_18:2),and phosphatidylcholine(O-16:0_20:3)exerted a protective effect against candidiasis.Sensitivity Q-test,MR-Egger regression,and MR-PRESSO test indicated the absence of heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy among the selected instrumental variables.No reverse causality was observed between candidiasis and the following plasma lipids:ceramide(d40:1),ceramide(d40:2),phosphatidylethanolamine(18:0_0:0),phosphatidylcholine(16:1_18:2),and phosphatidylcholine(O-16:0_20:3).Conclusion This study suggests a causal relationship between plasma lipids and candidiasis.
Keywords：candidiasisplasma lipidsmendelian randomizationfungal infection
Publication Date：2025-12-28
Online Publishing Date：2026-01-06(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 652-657 )