Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41027686›Full record

SynthesisLupus science & medicine2025

Potential causal effect of SLE on osteoporosis, and the mediation effect: a Mendelian randomisation study.

Zhaoqing Wang, Jiaxuan Yang, Qingya Shi, Bojie Liu, Ying Liang, Yangzhong Zhou, Guanqiao Li

Abstract readMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Lupus science & medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. 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

7 authors.

Zhaoqing WangVanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.ORCID 0009-0002-0552-3831
Jiaxuan YangVanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.ORCID 0009-0009-4975-1095
Qingya ShiSchool of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.ORCID 0000-0001-9724-3743
Bojie LiuVanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.ORCID 0009-0001-4900-389X
Ying LiangSchool of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong.
Yangzhong ZhouDepartment of Rheumatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China hubertchow09@163.com guanqiaoli@tsinghua.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0003-3497-0075
Guanqiao LiVanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China hubertchow09@163.com guanqiaoli@tsinghua.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0002-3626-7220

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis study uses Mendelian randomisation (MR) to investigate the causal link between SLE and osteoporosis across different ethnic groups.

methodsGenetic variants associated with SLE were identified from publicly available genome-wide association studies in European and East Asian populations. Two-sample MR (TSMR) analysis and meta-analysis with inverse variance weighting (IVW) assessed their effects on bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture risk. Multivariable MR (MVMR) analysis in East Asians adjusted for potential mediators, and two-step mediation analysis evaluated mediation effects of independent covariates.

resultsA meta-analysis of IVW results from TSMR in East Asian populations revealed a significant positive genetic association of SLE with osteoporosis (OR=1.023, CI 1.007 to 1.040, p<0.01). A similar, although weaker, association was observed in the European population (OR=1.001, CI 1.000 to 1.001, p<0.01). Furthermore, SLE was identified as a risk factor for reduced BMD in both East Asian (β=-0.0690, p<0.05) and European (β=-0.0109, p<0.05) populations, and for fracture risk in European (OR=1.002, p<0.05) populations, while no significant association was observed in the East Asian population (OR=1.010, p=0.705). MVMR analysis of East Asian data assessed mediation effects and found that the SLE-osteoporosis association was nullified after adjusting for cardiovascular disease and health status. Mediation analysis identified low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and anti-inflammatory medication use as independent mediators, with mediation effects of 0.1170 and 0.0510, respectively. No significant heterogeneity or pleiotropy was detected.

conclusionsSLE appears to be a causal risk factor for osteoporosis. LDL-C and anti-inflammatory medication use mediate this relationship, suggesting the importance of managing these factors in patients with SLE to reduce osteoporosis risk.

Indexed as

Lupus Erythematosus, SystemicOsteoporosisAsian PeopleBone DensityFemaleFractures, BoneGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseGenome-Wide Association StudyHumansMediation AnalysisMendelian Randomization AnalysisPolymorphism, Single NucleotideRisk FactorsWhite PeopleAutoimmune DiseasesEpidemiologyLupus Erythematosus, Systemic

Identifiers

PMID41027686
PMCPMC12481273

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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.