Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39987435›Full record

ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2025

Genetically predicted circulating immune cells and cytokines reveal the causal role of immune factors on female infertility: a two-sample mendelian randomization study.

Kai-Xuan Dong, Jia-Hang Mo, Jing Yan, Yi Cheng, Hui-Xi Chen, Nai-Xin Xu, Zhi-Yuan Dou, Hong Zhu, Lan Zhu, He-Feng Huang

Abstract read
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Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Kai-Xuan Dong *Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Jia-Hang Mo *Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Jing YanObstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Yi ChengThe First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Hui-Xi ChenThe International Peace Maternal and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Nai-Xin XuDepartments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Zhi-Yuan DouDepartments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Hong ZhuObstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Lan ZhuDepartments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China. zhulan@pumch.cn.
He-Feng HuangResearch Units of Embryo Original Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (No. 2019RU056), Shanghai, China. huanghefg@fudan.edu.cn.

Funding

CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences 2019-I2M-5-064Clinical Research Plan of SHDC (SHDC2020CR1008A), Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Gynecological Diseases 22MC1940200Collaborative Innovation Program of Shanghai Municipal Health Commission 2020CXJQ01Key Discipline Construction Project (2023-2025) of Three-Year Initiative Plan for Strengthening Public Health System Construction in Shanghai GWVI-11.1-35National Key R&D Program of China 2021YFC2700603Shanghai Urogenital System Diseases Research Center 2022ZZ01012the National Natural Science Foundation of China 82088102
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesPrevious studies suggested that immune factors may play critical roles in female infertility, but their causal links remain unclear. To address this gap, this study employs the Mendelian randomization (MR) to delineate the causal association between circulating immune factors and female infertility.

methodsThis study employed summary-level data from three genome-wide association studies (GWAS) encompassing 731 peripheral immune cell signatures, 41 circulating cytokines, and five female infertility phenotypes to reveal the causal relationship between immune factors and female infertility. Causalities of exposure-outcome pairs were explored mainly using two-sample MR, and comprehensive sensitivity analyses were deployed to validate the reliability of the results. Multi-variable Mendelian randomization (MVMR) was further employed to examine the potential mediating effects between significant exposures.

resultsFollowing false discovery rate (FDR) correction and sensitivity analyses, univariable Mendelian randomization identified distinct causal immune signatures across infertility subtypes. Peripheral levels of Naive CD8br %CD8br, MIP1B and IL17 were causally associated with general female infertility, and higher circulating MIP1B level decreased the risk of ovarian infertility. Furthermore, peripheral levels of CD80 on monocyte and MIP1B were causally associated with a higher risk of tubal infertility, three peripheral immune cell features (CD86 + myeloid DC AC, HLA DR + NK %NK, CD16 on CD14- CD16 + monocyte) were causal for uterine factor infertility, and three cytokines (MIP1B, IL18, IL17) were genetic causes of cervical infertility, vaginal infertility, other or unspecified origin infertility (FIOTHNAS). MVMR further revealed that MIP1B's effects on general female infertility and FIOTHNAS were substantially attenuated upon adjusting for circulating levels of IL17 and IL18.

conclusionOur results highlight that immune response contributes to female infertility risk through subtype-specific mechanisms, providing clues for following clinical research and treatment.

Indexed as

CytokinesInfertility, FemaleFemaleGenome-Wide Association StudyHumansMendelian Randomization AnalysisCytokinesCausal inferenceCytokinesFemale infertilityImmunityMendelian randomization

Identifiers

PMID39987435
PMCPMC11847394

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.