Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40640426›Full record

ArticleDiscover oncology2025

The causal relationship between immune cell phenotypes and esophageal cancer development: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

Xun Zhang, Hailang Zhou, Qianqian Meng, Weiyi Wang, Lu Zhou, Ying Xu, Haiqin Zhang, Zixu Zhang, Jinnian Cheng, Xiaopeng Zhan and 7 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Discover oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Xun Zhang *Digestive Endoscopy Center, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200336, People's Republic of China.
Hailang Zhou *Department of Gastroenterology, Lianshui People's Hospital Affiliated to Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Huaian, 223400, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
Qianqian Meng *Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China.
Weiyi WangDigestive Endoscopy Center, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200336, People's Republic of China.
Lu ZhouDigestive Endoscopy Center, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200336, People's Republic of China.
Ying XuDigestive Endoscopy Center, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200336, People's Republic of China.
Haiqin ZhangDigestive Endoscopy Center, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200336, People's Republic of China.
Zixu ZhangDigestive Endoscopy Center, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200336, People's Republic of China.
Jinnian ChengDigestive Endoscopy Center, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200336, People's Republic of China.
Xiaopeng ZhanDigestive Endoscopy Center, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200336, People's Republic of China.
Ji LiDigestive Endoscopy Center, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200336, People's Republic of China.
Changping HuDigestive Endoscopy Center, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200336, People's Republic of China.
Fengli ZhouDigestive Endoscopy Center, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200336, People's Republic of China.
Daming YangDigestive Endoscopy Center, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200336, People's Republic of China.
Luowei WangDepartment of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China. wangluoweimd@126.com.
Yimin ChuDigestive Endoscopy Center, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200336, People's Republic of China. CYM1905@shtrhospital.com.
Haixia PengDigestive Endoscopy Center, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200336, People's Republic of China. haixiapeng@163.com.

Funding

Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Action Plan Project YG2022ZD031
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundImmune cell phenotypes have been implicated in the development and progression of esophageal cancer (EC), but their causal relationships remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the potential causal associations between immune cell traits and EC risk using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

methodsA bidirectional two-sample MR analysis was conducted using genome-wide association study data from European populations. Genetic variants significantly associated with 731 immune cell phenotypes (P < 5 × 10

resultsSeven immune cell phenotypes were positively associated with an increased risk of EC, including SSC-A + on CD8 + T cells (P = 0.006), CD16 + monocytes (P = 0.013), and myeloid dendritic cells (P = 0.014). Conversely, CD3 + on HLA-DR + T cells (P = 0.017) and CD4 + T cell absolute count (P = 0.014) showed protective effects against EC. Sensitivity analyses confirmed these associations with minimal heterogeneity or pleiotropy. Reverse MR analysis found no evidence suggesting that EC causally influences immune cell phenotypes.

conclusionThis study provides genetic evidence supporting causal relationships between specific immune cell phenotypes and EC risk. Immune traits such as T cells, monocytes, and dendritic cells may serve as potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets for EC management. Further studies are needed to validate these findings and explore their clinical implications.

Indexed as

Causal inferenceEsophageal cancerGenetic variantsImmune cell phenotypesMendelian randomization

Identifiers

PMID40640426
PMCPMC12246269

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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.