Does Cannabis Intake Protect Against Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease? A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study
Background and AimNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease. Previous observational studies suggested that cannabis use may be associated with a lower risk for NAFLD but the causal relationship remains unclear. We aim in this study to examine the causal effec...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Genetics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fgene.2020.00949/full |
| _version_ | 1819044369739546624 |
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| author | Xiaokun Wang Zhipeng Liu Wanqing Liu Wanqing Liu Wanqing Liu |
| author_facet | Xiaokun Wang Zhipeng Liu Wanqing Liu Wanqing Liu Wanqing Liu |
| author_sort | Xiaokun Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background and AimNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease. Previous observational studies suggested that cannabis use may be associated with a lower risk for NAFLD but the causal relationship remains unclear. We aim in this study to examine the causal effect of cannabis consumption on the risk of NAFLD using a Mendelian randomization analysis. Clarifying this causal effect is important for cannabis-based drug discovery for NAFLD.MethodsWe used data from the largest-to-date GWAS meta-analysis on lifetime use of cannabis (yes or no) consisting of three cohorts [International Cannabis Consortium (ICC), 23andMe, and the UK Biobank] of European ancestry (total N = 184,765). We also used other GWAS data on cannabis use dependence and cannabis use disorder (CUD). The NAFLD GWAS data were generated from the UK Biobank population (1,122 cases and 399,900 controls). The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used to assess the causal impact of cannabis lifetime use on the risk of NAFLD. We also performed a sensitivity analysis using weighted median estimator and MR-Egger.ResultsThere was no statistically significant causal effect between either the lifetime cannabis use, cannabis use dependence or CUD and the risk for NAFLD (p > 0.05 for all tests). No significant pleotropic effect was observed based on both MR-PRESSO global test (p = 0.99) and the modified Q’ statistics. However, the study may be underpowered.ConclusionOur results demonstrated no evidence that cannabis consumption has a causal effect of protection against the development of NAFLD. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T10:11:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6abcdda9ab8c43ae820fffbbc9a8e7f1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-8021 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T10:11:35Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Genetics |
| spelling | doaj.art-6abcdda9ab8c43ae820fffbbc9a8e7f12022-12-21T19:07:42ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Genetics1664-80212020-08-011110.3389/fgene.2020.00949517905Does Cannabis Intake Protect Against Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease? A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization StudyXiaokun Wang0Zhipeng Liu1Wanqing Liu2Wanqing Liu3Wanqing Liu4Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United StatesDepartment of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United StatesDepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United StatesDepartment of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United StatesDepartment of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United StatesBackground and AimNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease. Previous observational studies suggested that cannabis use may be associated with a lower risk for NAFLD but the causal relationship remains unclear. We aim in this study to examine the causal effect of cannabis consumption on the risk of NAFLD using a Mendelian randomization analysis. Clarifying this causal effect is important for cannabis-based drug discovery for NAFLD.MethodsWe used data from the largest-to-date GWAS meta-analysis on lifetime use of cannabis (yes or no) consisting of three cohorts [International Cannabis Consortium (ICC), 23andMe, and the UK Biobank] of European ancestry (total N = 184,765). We also used other GWAS data on cannabis use dependence and cannabis use disorder (CUD). The NAFLD GWAS data were generated from the UK Biobank population (1,122 cases and 399,900 controls). The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used to assess the causal impact of cannabis lifetime use on the risk of NAFLD. We also performed a sensitivity analysis using weighted median estimator and MR-Egger.ResultsThere was no statistically significant causal effect between either the lifetime cannabis use, cannabis use dependence or CUD and the risk for NAFLD (p > 0.05 for all tests). No significant pleotropic effect was observed based on both MR-PRESSO global test (p = 0.99) and the modified Q’ statistics. However, the study may be underpowered.ConclusionOur results demonstrated no evidence that cannabis consumption has a causal effect of protection against the development of NAFLD.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fgene.2020.00949/fullcannabismarijuananon-alcoholic fatty liver diseaseMendelian randomizationGWAS |
| spellingShingle | Xiaokun Wang Zhipeng Liu Wanqing Liu Wanqing Liu Wanqing Liu Does Cannabis Intake Protect Against Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease? A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study Frontiers in Genetics cannabis marijuana non-alcoholic fatty liver disease Mendelian randomization GWAS |
| title | Does Cannabis Intake Protect Against Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease? A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study |
| title_full | Does Cannabis Intake Protect Against Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease? A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study |
| title_fullStr | Does Cannabis Intake Protect Against Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease? A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Does Cannabis Intake Protect Against Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease? A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study |
| title_short | Does Cannabis Intake Protect Against Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease? A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study |
| title_sort | does cannabis intake protect against non alcoholic fatty liver disease a two sample mendelian randomization study |
| topic | cannabis marijuana non-alcoholic fatty liver disease Mendelian randomization GWAS |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fgene.2020.00949/full |
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