Genetic Association of Lipid-Lowering Drug Target Genes with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Mendelian Randomization Study

The role of lipid-lowering drugs in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is controversial in clinical studies. This study aimed to explore the causal relationship between lipid-lowering drugs and COPD from a genetic perspective, and to evaluate the potential effects of this relationship. Fou...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hao Luan, Tianhua Wang, Rui Wang, Yu Wang, Yu Liu, Wenru Sheng, Jiaqi Guo, Haotian Ji, Xiufeng Liu, Xiqing Xue, Yiider Tseng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:COPD
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15412555.2025.2513601
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849692339293913088
author Hao Luan
Tianhua Wang
Rui Wang
Yu Wang
Yu Liu
Wenru Sheng
Jiaqi Guo
Haotian Ji
Xiufeng Liu
Xiqing Xue
Yiider Tseng
author_facet Hao Luan
Tianhua Wang
Rui Wang
Yu Wang
Yu Liu
Wenru Sheng
Jiaqi Guo
Haotian Ji
Xiufeng Liu
Xiqing Xue
Yiider Tseng
author_sort Hao Luan
collection DOAJ
description The role of lipid-lowering drugs in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is controversial in clinical studies. This study aimed to explore the causal relationship between lipid-lowering drugs and COPD from a genetic perspective, and to evaluate the potential effects of this relationship. Four hundred and thirty-one lipid-related phenotypes and two COPD datasets were obtained from Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) and analysed together using Mendelian randomization (MR). Genetic variants associated with genes encoding targets of lipid-lowering drugs were extracted from the Global Lipid Genetics Consortium. Expression quantitative trait loci data in relevant tissues were adopted to validate lipid-lowering drug targets that reached significance. We found that four lipid abnormalities were associated with COPD risk. Genetically proxied inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR) and PCSK9 is associated with an increased risk of COPD. And there is a significant MR correlation between increased whole blood HMGCR expression and COPD. HMGCR and PCSK9 inhibitors are associated with onset of COPD, lung function, and COPD-associated infections. Mediation analyses were performed to explore potential mediators of how genetically proxied inhibition of HMGCR and PCSK9 influences the risk of COPD through different immune cell phenotypes and inflammatory factor levels. Our findings indicate a potential link between the use of HMGCR and PCSK9 inhibitors and increased risk of COPD and exacerbation of COPD phenotypes. This suggests effects beyond LDL-C modulation, potentially involving immune cell function and inflammatory factors.
format Article
id doaj-art-ae17f6afef664653890bb8ef910d3dc3
institution DOAJ
issn 1541-2555
1541-2563
language English
publishDate 2025-12-01
publisher Taylor & Francis Group
record_format Article
series COPD
spelling doaj-art-ae17f6afef664653890bb8ef910d3dc32025-08-20T03:20:44ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCOPD1541-25551541-25632025-12-0122110.1080/15412555.2025.2513601Genetic Association of Lipid-Lowering Drug Target Genes with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Mendelian Randomization StudyHao Luan0Tianhua Wang1Rui Wang2Yu Wang3Yu Liu4Wenru Sheng5Jiaqi Guo6Haotian Ji7Xiufeng Liu8Xiqing Xue9Yiider Tseng10Innovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, ChinaCollege of First Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, ChinaInnovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, ChinaInnovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, ChinaInnovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, ChinaInnovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, ChinaSchool of Medical Laboratory, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, ChinaInnovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, ChinaInnovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, ChinaInnovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, ChinaInnovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, ChinaThe role of lipid-lowering drugs in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is controversial in clinical studies. This study aimed to explore the causal relationship between lipid-lowering drugs and COPD from a genetic perspective, and to evaluate the potential effects of this relationship. Four hundred and thirty-one lipid-related phenotypes and two COPD datasets were obtained from Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) and analysed together using Mendelian randomization (MR). Genetic variants associated with genes encoding targets of lipid-lowering drugs were extracted from the Global Lipid Genetics Consortium. Expression quantitative trait loci data in relevant tissues were adopted to validate lipid-lowering drug targets that reached significance. We found that four lipid abnormalities were associated with COPD risk. Genetically proxied inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR) and PCSK9 is associated with an increased risk of COPD. And there is a significant MR correlation between increased whole blood HMGCR expression and COPD. HMGCR and PCSK9 inhibitors are associated with onset of COPD, lung function, and COPD-associated infections. Mediation analyses were performed to explore potential mediators of how genetically proxied inhibition of HMGCR and PCSK9 influences the risk of COPD through different immune cell phenotypes and inflammatory factor levels. Our findings indicate a potential link between the use of HMGCR and PCSK9 inhibitors and increased risk of COPD and exacerbation of COPD phenotypes. This suggests effects beyond LDL-C modulation, potentially involving immune cell function and inflammatory factors.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15412555.2025.2513601Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)lipid-lowering drugsMendelian randomizationgenetic instruments
spellingShingle Hao Luan
Tianhua Wang
Rui Wang
Yu Wang
Yu Liu
Wenru Sheng
Jiaqi Guo
Haotian Ji
Xiufeng Liu
Xiqing Xue
Yiider Tseng
Genetic Association of Lipid-Lowering Drug Target Genes with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Mendelian Randomization Study
COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
lipid-lowering drugs
Mendelian randomization
genetic instruments
title Genetic Association of Lipid-Lowering Drug Target Genes with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Mendelian Randomization Study
title_full Genetic Association of Lipid-Lowering Drug Target Genes with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Mendelian Randomization Study
title_fullStr Genetic Association of Lipid-Lowering Drug Target Genes with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Mendelian Randomization Study
title_full_unstemmed Genetic Association of Lipid-Lowering Drug Target Genes with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Mendelian Randomization Study
title_short Genetic Association of Lipid-Lowering Drug Target Genes with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Mendelian Randomization Study
title_sort genetic association of lipid lowering drug target genes with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease a mendelian randomization study
topic Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
lipid-lowering drugs
Mendelian randomization
genetic instruments
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15412555.2025.2513601
work_keys_str_mv AT haoluan geneticassociationoflipidloweringdrugtargetgeneswithchronicobstructivepulmonarydiseaseamendelianrandomizationstudy
AT tianhuawang geneticassociationoflipidloweringdrugtargetgeneswithchronicobstructivepulmonarydiseaseamendelianrandomizationstudy
AT ruiwang geneticassociationoflipidloweringdrugtargetgeneswithchronicobstructivepulmonarydiseaseamendelianrandomizationstudy
AT yuwang geneticassociationoflipidloweringdrugtargetgeneswithchronicobstructivepulmonarydiseaseamendelianrandomizationstudy
AT yuliu geneticassociationoflipidloweringdrugtargetgeneswithchronicobstructivepulmonarydiseaseamendelianrandomizationstudy
AT wenrusheng geneticassociationoflipidloweringdrugtargetgeneswithchronicobstructivepulmonarydiseaseamendelianrandomizationstudy
AT jiaqiguo geneticassociationoflipidloweringdrugtargetgeneswithchronicobstructivepulmonarydiseaseamendelianrandomizationstudy
AT haotianji geneticassociationoflipidloweringdrugtargetgeneswithchronicobstructivepulmonarydiseaseamendelianrandomizationstudy
AT xiufengliu geneticassociationoflipidloweringdrugtargetgeneswithchronicobstructivepulmonarydiseaseamendelianrandomizationstudy
AT xiqingxue geneticassociationoflipidloweringdrugtargetgeneswithchronicobstructivepulmonarydiseaseamendelianrandomizationstudy
AT yiidertseng geneticassociationoflipidloweringdrugtargetgeneswithchronicobstructivepulmonarydiseaseamendelianrandomizationstudy