Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42477767›Full record

ArticleOrphanet journal of rare diseases2026

Unraveling the role of lipid metabolism in ALS risk: a Mendelian randomization analysis using GWAS data.

Houwen Zhang, Chunrong Li, Jialin Yu, Yu Liang, You Wu, Fangzheng Cao

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Article in Orphanet journal of rare diseases, 2026. 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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6 authors.

Houwen Zhang *Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Xinhua Hospital of Zhejiang Province), Hangzhou, 310005, China.
Chunrong Li *Center for Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Neurology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, China.
Jialin YuDepartment of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Xinhua Hospital of Zhejiang Province), Hangzhou, 310005, China.
Yu LiangDepartment of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Xinhua Hospital of Zhejiang Province), Hangzhou, 310005, China.
You Wu *Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Xinhua Hospital of Zhejiang Province), Hangzhou, 310005, China.
Fangzheng Cao *Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Xinhua Hospital of Zhejiang Province), Hangzhou, 310005, China. cfz9517538462@163.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Lipid metabolism is closely related to neuronal function and energy homeostasis, but the genetic association between specific lipid species and ALS risk remains unclear.

objectiveThis study aimed to investigate the potential causal associations between genetically predicted lipid species and ALS risk using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach.

methodsSummary-level GWAS data for 179 lipid species were obtained from 7,174 Finnish participants in the GeneRISK cohort. ALS GWAS data included 29,612 ALS cases and 122,656 controls. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used as the primary MR approach, supplemented by MR-Egger, weighted median, weighted mode, and simple mode analyses. False discovery rate (FDR) correction was applied across all lipid traits based on IVW P values. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess heterogeneity, horizontal pleiotropy, and robustness.

resultsAfter FDR correction, genetically predicted higher levels of diacylglycerol (DAG) (18:1_18:1), phosphatidylcholine (PC) (16:1_18:1), PC (18:0_18:1), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) (O-16:1_18:2), and several triacylglycerol (TAG) species were associated with increased ALS risk. Phosphatidylinositol (PI) (16:0_18:1) showed only a nominal protective association and did not remain significant after FDR correction. Sensitivity analyses did not indicate substantial heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy.

conclusionThis MR study provides genetic evidence supporting potential associations between specific lipid species and ALS risk. These findings highlight lipid metabolism as a relevant pathway in ALS susceptibility.

Indexed as

Amyotrophic Lateral SclerosisLipid MetabolismMendelian Randomization AnalysisDiglyceridesGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseGenome-Wide Association StudyHumansPolymorphism, Single NucleotideTriglyceridesDiglyceridesTriglyceridesAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)DiacylglycerolLipid traitsMendelian randomization (MR)Triacylglycerol

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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.