Genetic Causal Associations between Various Serum Minerals and Risk of Depression: A Mendelian Randomization Study

Authors

  • Yuan Wang College of Clinical Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, 410208 Changsha, Hunan, China; Department of Psychiatry, The Second People’s Hospital of Hunan Province, 410021 Changsha, Hunan, China
  • Lini Liu Department of Psychiatry, The Second People’s Hospital of Hunan Province, 410021 Changsha, Hunan, China
  • Dong Yang College of Clinical Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, 410208 Changsha, Hunan, China; Department of Psychiatry, The Second People’s Hospital of Hunan Province, 410021 Changsha, Hunan, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62641/aep.v52i3.1637

Keywords:

depression, serum, minerals, mendelian randomization, zinc, genetics

Abstract

Background: Previous observational studies have discovered a connection between depression and mineral status. Confirming this potential connection is challenging due to confounding factors and potential reverse causality which is inherent in observational studies.

Materials and Methods: We performed a Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to estimate the causal association of serum minerals with depression. Leveraging summary-level data on depression, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was applied. The data on serum minerals were collected from the FinnGen Biobank database. MR assessments representing causality were produced by inverse-variance weighted approaches with multiplicative random and fixed effects.

Result: Sensitivity analyses were performed to validate the reliability of the results. A noteworthy correlation emerged between serum zinc levels and reduced risk of depression. An odds ratio (OR) of 0.917 for depression associated with a one standard deviation increase in serum zinc levels (OR = 0.968; 95% CI = 0.953–0.984, p = 1.19 × 10-4, random effects model inverse variance weighted (IVW)); (OR = 0.928; 95% CI = 0.634–1.358, p = 0.766, MR Egger). Sensitivity assessments supported this causation. However, the risk of depression did not exhibit an association with other minerals.

Conclusions: In summary, a higher zinc concentration is causally associated with a reduced depression risk. This MR outcome may assist clinicians in the regulation of specific mineral intake, particularly for high-risk patients with serum zinc deficiencies.

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Published

2024-06-05

How to Cite

Wang, Yuan, et al. “Genetic Causal Associations Between Various Serum Minerals and Risk of Depression: A Mendelian Randomization Study”. Actas Españolas De Psiquiatría, vol. 52, no. 3, June 2024, pp. 211-20, doi:10.62641/aep.v52i3.1637.

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