ArticleSkin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI)2024
The causal relationship between vitiligo and autoimmune thyroid diseases: A bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis.
Article in Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI), 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It has been retracted, and should not be counted. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Autoimmune thyroid disease and human health: a systematic review of Mendelian randomization studies.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Pooled it
- Prevalence and Association of Autoimmune Comorbidities Among Adults with Vitiligo: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-analysis of USA-Based Studies.Dermatology and therapy · 2025Review
- Article
- Correlation between autoimmune thyroid disease and vitiligo: An analytical study.Bioinformation · 2025Article
- Analyzing the Differential Expression of Vitiligo Genes by Bioinformatics Methods.Dermatology research and practice · 2025Article
- Skin Sceneries of Thyroid Disorders and Impact of Thyroid on Different Skin Diseases: A Scoping Review Focused on Pediatric Patients.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Thyroid Dysfunction and Alopecia Areata: A Genetic Prediction Causality Analysis Study.Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI) · 2024Article
- Interleukin-33 links asthma to alopecia areata: Mendelian randomization and mediation analysis.Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI) · 2024Article
- Identifying the genetic association between common rheumatic diseases and vitiligo.Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI) · 2024Article
- The causal relationship between vitiligo and autoimmune thyroid diseases: A bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis.Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI) · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
- Retraction · 2025-10-29Compromised Peer Review · Concerns/Issues about Methods · Investigation by Journal/Publisher · Unreliable Results and/or Conclusions ·
- Retracted
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundVitiligo is an acquired autoimmune depigmented disorder characterized by the presence of white and well-defined patches on the skin, mucous membrane, or both. It is associated with a significant disease burden and has a profoundly impacts patients' quality of life. Autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITDs) result from an autoimmune system dysregulation, leading to an erroneous immune attack on the thyroid gland. Previous observational and epidemiological studies have suggested the association between vitiligo and AITDs. However, the bidirectional cause-effect relationship between vitiligo and AITDs has not been formally assessed.
methodTwo-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted to explore potential causal relationships between genetically increased risk of vitiligo and AITDs, using summary statistics from genome-wide association studies in European populations. Causal effects were primarily estimated using the inverse variance weighted method, and additional quality control was performed using the MR-Egger, weighted median, simple mode, and weight mode methods. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the robustness of the results.
resultsThe forward MR analysis showed a positive causal relationship between vitiligo and autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT), autoimmune hyperthyroidism (AIH), and Graves' disease (GD). The odds ratio (OR) were 1.17 (95% CI, 1.01-1.35; p = 0.04), 1.12 (95% CI, 1.03-1.22; p = 0.01), and 1.13 (95% CI, 1.06-1.20; p < 0.01), respectively. In the reverse MR analysis, a positive causal relationship was found between AIT and vitiligo, with an OR of 1.10 (95% CI, 1.01-1.35; p = 0.04). However, no causal relationship was observed between AIH (p = 0.10) or GD (p = 0.61) and vitiligo. Sensitivity analysis revealed no evidence of horizontal pleiotropy or heterogeneity.
conclusionsThe genetic-level investigation provides evidence of a genetic causal association between susceptibility to vitiligo and an increased risk of AITDs. Additionally, the results demonstrate a genetic causal association between susceptibility to AIT and an increased risk of vitiligo, while not indicating a similar association with susceptibility to AIH or GD.
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Registered trials
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