Trans-ethnic Mendelian randomization analysis of membranous nephropathy and peripheral artery disease with mediating effects of thrombomodulin

Abstract This study employed a trans-ethnic two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the causal relationship between membranous nephropathy (MN) and peripheral artery disease (PAD). In European populations, MN exhibited a significant positive causal effect on PAD (discovery: O...

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Main Authors: Juhong Pan, Xingyue Huang, Yueying Chen, Nan Jiang, Yuxin Guo, Shiyuan Zhou, Yao Zhang, Bo Hu, Qing Deng, Qing Zhou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-02626-3
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author Juhong Pan
Xingyue Huang
Yueying Chen
Nan Jiang
Yuxin Guo
Shiyuan Zhou
Yao Zhang
Bo Hu
Qing Deng
Qing Zhou
author_facet Juhong Pan
Xingyue Huang
Yueying Chen
Nan Jiang
Yuxin Guo
Shiyuan Zhou
Yao Zhang
Bo Hu
Qing Deng
Qing Zhou
author_sort Juhong Pan
collection DOAJ
description Abstract This study employed a trans-ethnic two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the causal relationship between membranous nephropathy (MN) and peripheral artery disease (PAD). In European populations, MN exhibited a significant positive causal effect on PAD (discovery: OR = 1.040, P = 0.028; validation: OR = 1.028, P = 0.031), whereas no such association was observed in East Asians (P > 0.05). A two-step mediation analysis identified several proteins influenced by MN, including thrombomodulin (TM) (β = 0.031, P = 0.001), macrophage colony-stimulating factor 1 (MCSF1) (β = 0.239, P = 0.015), stem cell factor (SCF) (β = 0.028, P = 0.002), and tissue factor (TF) (β = 0.031, P = 0.001), while MN negatively affected interleukin-1β (IL-1β) (β=-0.049, P = 0.015) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) (β=-0.027, P = 0.005). Multivariable MR analysis confirmed that only TM had an independent positive causal effect on PAD (β = 0.225, P < 0.001), and mediation analysis further validated TM as a significant mediator in the MN-to-PAD pathway (Z = 2.823, P = 0.048). Sensitivity analyses detected no significant pleiotropy or heterogeneity, supporting the robustness of our findings. This study highlights crucial ethnic differences in MN-associated PAD risk and underscores the importance of population-specific research. TM may serve as a potential therapeutic target for PAD prevention in MN patients, particularly those of European ancestry, providing novel insights into kidney-vascular disease mechanisms.
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spelling doaj-art-7773a53fbfa64504ba0a10ebc6d2bfe92025-08-20T03:48:15ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-05-0115111210.1038/s41598-025-02626-3Trans-ethnic Mendelian randomization analysis of membranous nephropathy and peripheral artery disease with mediating effects of thrombomodulinJuhong Pan0Xingyue Huang1Yueying Chen2Nan Jiang3Yuxin Guo4Shiyuan Zhou5Yao Zhang6Bo Hu7Qing Deng8Qing Zhou9Department of Ultrasound Imaging, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityDepartment of Ultrasound Imaging, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityDepartment of Ultrasound Imaging, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityDepartment of Ultrasound Imaging, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityDepartment of Ultrasound Imaging, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityDepartment of Ultrasound Imaging, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityDepartment of Ultrasound Imaging, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityDepartment of Ultrasound Imaging, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityDepartment of Ultrasound Imaging, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityDepartment of Ultrasound Imaging, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityAbstract This study employed a trans-ethnic two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the causal relationship between membranous nephropathy (MN) and peripheral artery disease (PAD). In European populations, MN exhibited a significant positive causal effect on PAD (discovery: OR = 1.040, P = 0.028; validation: OR = 1.028, P = 0.031), whereas no such association was observed in East Asians (P > 0.05). A two-step mediation analysis identified several proteins influenced by MN, including thrombomodulin (TM) (β = 0.031, P = 0.001), macrophage colony-stimulating factor 1 (MCSF1) (β = 0.239, P = 0.015), stem cell factor (SCF) (β = 0.028, P = 0.002), and tissue factor (TF) (β = 0.031, P = 0.001), while MN negatively affected interleukin-1β (IL-1β) (β=-0.049, P = 0.015) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) (β=-0.027, P = 0.005). Multivariable MR analysis confirmed that only TM had an independent positive causal effect on PAD (β = 0.225, P < 0.001), and mediation analysis further validated TM as a significant mediator in the MN-to-PAD pathway (Z = 2.823, P = 0.048). Sensitivity analyses detected no significant pleiotropy or heterogeneity, supporting the robustness of our findings. This study highlights crucial ethnic differences in MN-associated PAD risk and underscores the importance of population-specific research. TM may serve as a potential therapeutic target for PAD prevention in MN patients, particularly those of European ancestry, providing novel insights into kidney-vascular disease mechanisms.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-02626-3Peripheral artery diseaseMembranous nephropathyThrombomodulinMediationMendelian randomization
spellingShingle Juhong Pan
Xingyue Huang
Yueying Chen
Nan Jiang
Yuxin Guo
Shiyuan Zhou
Yao Zhang
Bo Hu
Qing Deng
Qing Zhou
Trans-ethnic Mendelian randomization analysis of membranous nephropathy and peripheral artery disease with mediating effects of thrombomodulin
Scientific Reports
Peripheral artery disease
Membranous nephropathy
Thrombomodulin
Mediation
Mendelian randomization
title Trans-ethnic Mendelian randomization analysis of membranous nephropathy and peripheral artery disease with mediating effects of thrombomodulin
title_full Trans-ethnic Mendelian randomization analysis of membranous nephropathy and peripheral artery disease with mediating effects of thrombomodulin
title_fullStr Trans-ethnic Mendelian randomization analysis of membranous nephropathy and peripheral artery disease with mediating effects of thrombomodulin
title_full_unstemmed Trans-ethnic Mendelian randomization analysis of membranous nephropathy and peripheral artery disease with mediating effects of thrombomodulin
title_short Trans-ethnic Mendelian randomization analysis of membranous nephropathy and peripheral artery disease with mediating effects of thrombomodulin
title_sort trans ethnic mendelian randomization analysis of membranous nephropathy and peripheral artery disease with mediating effects of thrombomodulin
topic Peripheral artery disease
Membranous nephropathy
Thrombomodulin
Mediation
Mendelian randomization
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-02626-3
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