Abstract
Summary
The study, using data from Chongqing, China, and employing Mendelian randomization along with bioinformatics, establishes a causal link between asthma and osteoporosis, beyond glucocorticoid effects. Asthma may contribute to osteoporosis by accelerating bone turnover through inflammatory factors, disrupting the coupling between osteoblasts and osteoclasts, ultimately leading to osteoporosis.
Introduction
Asthma and osteoporosis are prevalent health conditions with substantial public health implications. However, their potential interplay and the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Previous research has primarily focused on the impact of glucocorticoids on osteoporosis, often overlooking the role of asthma itself.
Methods
We conducted a multi-stage stratified random sampling in Chongqing, China and excluded individuals with a history of glucocorticoid use. Participants underwent comprehensive health examinations, and their clinical data, including asthma status, were recorded. Logistic regression and Mendelian randomization were employed to investigate the causal link between asthma and osteoporosis. Furthermore, bioinformatics analyses and serum biomarker assessments were conducted to explore potential mechanistic pathways.
Results
We found a significant association between asthma and osteoporosis, suggesting a potential causal link. Mendelian Randomization analysis provided further support for this causal link. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that several molecular pathways might mediate the impact of asthma on bone health. Serum alkaline phosphatase levels were significantly elevated in the asthma group, suggesting potential involvement in bone turnover.
Conclusion
Our study confirms a causal link between asthma and osteoporosis and highlights the importance of considering asthma in osteoporosis prediction models. It also suggests that asthma may accelerate osteoporosis by increasing bone turnover through inflammatory factors, disrupting the coupling between osteoblasts and osteoclasts, ultimately leading to bone loss.
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Data Availability
Due to privacy considerations for the surveyed population, the cross-sectional survey data used in this article are not publicly available. The asthma GWAS data utilized in this study were sourced from the GWAS Catalog(https://www.ebi.ac.uk/gwas/), while the osteoporosis GWAS data were obtained from the FinnGen consortium. Both sets of GWAS data mentioned above originate from freely accessible databases, with registration required for accessing data from the FinnGen consortium.
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Funding
This work was supported by (1) The project of enhance scientific and technological innovation capacity (No. 2019XLC2015), (2) National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2018YFA0800802).
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The research protocol received approval from the Ethics Review Committee of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. All study participants provided written informed consent, with confidentiality of information assured. This study adhered to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines.
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Chen, L., Li, C., Chen, H. et al. Cross-sectional studies of the causal link between asthma and osteoporosis: insights from Mendelian randomization and bioinformatics analysis. Osteoporos Int (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-024-07037-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-024-07037-0