Genetic Predisposition Between COVID-19 and Four Mental Illnesses: A Bidirectional, Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study
Background: The outbreak of 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic. Although it has long been suspected that COVID-19 could contribute to the development of mental illness, and individuals with a pre-existing mental illness may have a higher risk of and poorer outcomes from...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.746276/full |
| _version_ | 1797990025811460096 |
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| author | Ningning Liu Ningning Liu Jiang-Shan Tan Lu Liu Lu Liu Yufeng Wang Yufeng Wang Lu Hua Qiujin Qian Qiujin Qian |
| author_facet | Ningning Liu Ningning Liu Jiang-Shan Tan Lu Liu Lu Liu Yufeng Wang Yufeng Wang Lu Hua Qiujin Qian Qiujin Qian |
| author_sort | Ningning Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The outbreak of 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic. Although it has long been suspected that COVID-19 could contribute to the development of mental illness, and individuals with a pre-existing mental illness may have a higher risk of and poorer outcomes from COVID-19 infection, no evidence has established a causal association between them thus far.Methods: To investigate associations in support of a causal association between the severity of COVID-19 and mental illnesses, we leveraged large-scale genetic summary data from genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary datasets, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (n = 55,374), schizophrenia (n = 77,096), bipolar disorder (n = 51,710), and depression (n = 173,005), based on a previous observational study. The random-effects inverse-variance weighted method was conducted for the main analyses, with a complementary analysis of the weighted median and MR-Egger approaches and multiple sensitivity analyses assessing horizontal pleiotropy and removing outliers in two different COVID-19 databases.Results: The Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis indicated that ADHD [odds ratio (OR) = 1.297; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.029–1.634; p = 0.028] increased the risk of hospitalization due to COVID-19. A similar association was obtained in MR sensitivity analyses of the weighted median. In addition, genetically predicted COVID-19 was significantly associated with schizophrenia (OR = 1.043; 95% CI, 1.005–1.082; p = 0.027).Conclusions: Although many studies have reported a causal relationship between COVID-19 and mental illness, our study shows that this increased risk is modest. However, considering the characteristics of ADHD that might further increase the individuals' vulnerability to being infected by COVID-19, the ongoing massive worldwide exposure to COVID-19, and the high burden of schizophrenia, we believe that it is necessary to offer preventative measures to these populations and to provide more evidence in understanding the neurological impact of COVID-19. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T08:29:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-552461b5f10349b7aa4574e1979fc8e8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T08:29:55Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-552461b5f10349b7aa4574e1979fc8e82022-12-22T04:34:34ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402021-10-011210.3389/fpsyt.2021.746276746276Genetic Predisposition Between COVID-19 and Four Mental Illnesses: A Bidirectional, Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization StudyNingning Liu0Ningning Liu1Jiang-Shan Tan2Lu Liu3Lu Liu4Yufeng Wang5Yufeng Wang6Lu Hua7Qiujin Qian8Qiujin Qian9Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, ChinaNHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, ChinaThrombosis Center, Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Vascular Medicine, National Clinical Research Center of Cardiovascular Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease and Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, ChinaPeking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, ChinaNHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, ChinaPeking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, ChinaNHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, ChinaThrombosis Center, Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Vascular Medicine, National Clinical Research Center of Cardiovascular Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease and Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, ChinaPeking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, ChinaNHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, ChinaBackground: The outbreak of 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic. Although it has long been suspected that COVID-19 could contribute to the development of mental illness, and individuals with a pre-existing mental illness may have a higher risk of and poorer outcomes from COVID-19 infection, no evidence has established a causal association between them thus far.Methods: To investigate associations in support of a causal association between the severity of COVID-19 and mental illnesses, we leveraged large-scale genetic summary data from genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary datasets, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (n = 55,374), schizophrenia (n = 77,096), bipolar disorder (n = 51,710), and depression (n = 173,005), based on a previous observational study. The random-effects inverse-variance weighted method was conducted for the main analyses, with a complementary analysis of the weighted median and MR-Egger approaches and multiple sensitivity analyses assessing horizontal pleiotropy and removing outliers in two different COVID-19 databases.Results: The Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis indicated that ADHD [odds ratio (OR) = 1.297; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.029–1.634; p = 0.028] increased the risk of hospitalization due to COVID-19. A similar association was obtained in MR sensitivity analyses of the weighted median. In addition, genetically predicted COVID-19 was significantly associated with schizophrenia (OR = 1.043; 95% CI, 1.005–1.082; p = 0.027).Conclusions: Although many studies have reported a causal relationship between COVID-19 and mental illness, our study shows that this increased risk is modest. However, considering the characteristics of ADHD that might further increase the individuals' vulnerability to being infected by COVID-19, the ongoing massive worldwide exposure to COVID-19, and the high burden of schizophrenia, we believe that it is necessary to offer preventative measures to these populations and to provide more evidence in understanding the neurological impact of COVID-19.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.746276/fullCOVID-19mental illnessGWASriskMendelian randomization |
| spellingShingle | Ningning Liu Ningning Liu Jiang-Shan Tan Lu Liu Lu Liu Yufeng Wang Yufeng Wang Lu Hua Qiujin Qian Qiujin Qian Genetic Predisposition Between COVID-19 and Four Mental Illnesses: A Bidirectional, Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study Frontiers in Psychiatry COVID-19 mental illness GWAS risk Mendelian randomization |
| title | Genetic Predisposition Between COVID-19 and Four Mental Illnesses: A Bidirectional, Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study |
| title_full | Genetic Predisposition Between COVID-19 and Four Mental Illnesses: A Bidirectional, Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study |
| title_fullStr | Genetic Predisposition Between COVID-19 and Four Mental Illnesses: A Bidirectional, Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Genetic Predisposition Between COVID-19 and Four Mental Illnesses: A Bidirectional, Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study |
| title_short | Genetic Predisposition Between COVID-19 and Four Mental Illnesses: A Bidirectional, Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study |
| title_sort | genetic predisposition between covid 19 and four mental illnesses a bidirectional two sample mendelian randomization study |
| topic | COVID-19 mental illness GWAS risk Mendelian randomization |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.746276/full |
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