Causal relationship and potential pathogenic mechanisms between rosacea with pharyngeal and laryngeal cancer

TL;DR

This study finds a causal link between rosacea and pharyngeal/laryngeal cancer, suggesting rosacea may increase cancer risk through shared inflammatory pathways.

Contribution

Identifies a novel causal relationship between rosacea and PLC using MR analysis and explores shared molecular mechanisms.

Findings

Rosacea has a causal link with pharyngeal and laryngeal cancer (OR = 1.137, p = 0.035).

No causal relationship was found between rosacea and other cancer types.

Shared genes and pathways related to immunity and inflammation were identified between rosacea and PLC.

Abstract

•A variety of MR analysis methods are used.•Causal link between Rosacea and PLC (Pharyngeal and Laryngeal Cancer).•No causal relationship between Rosacea and other cancer.•Sensitivity analysis confirm the robustness and reliability of the findings.•Explored the molecular pathogenic mechanism between Rosecea and PLC.

A variety of MR analysis methods are used.

Causal link between Rosacea and PLC (Pharyngeal and Laryngeal Cancer).

No causal relationship between Rosacea and other cancer.

Sensitivity analysis confirm the robustness and reliability of the findings.

Explored the molecular pathogenic mechanism between Rosecea and PLC.

Rosacea is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease. Observational studies reported the association between rosacea and cancer. The causal relationship between rosacea and cancer has been reported rarely.

We employed a two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) study to assess the causality between rosacea and 17 subtypes of cancers. Rosacea and cancers’ association Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) data were collected. The Inverse Variance Weighted (IVW) method was utilized as the principal method in our Mendelian Randomization (MR) study, with additional using the MR-Egger, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode methods. The MR-Egger intercept test, Cochran’s Q test, MR-Pleiotropy RESidual Sum and Outlier (MR-PRESSO) and leave-one-out analysis were conducted to identify heterogeneity and pleiotropy. After that, Disease-related genes were also referenced from GeneCard.

After our MR analysis, we found rosacea has a causal relationship with pharyngeal and laryngeal cancer (PLC, Odds Ratio [OR = 1.137], 95% CI 1.010‒1.283, p-value = 0.035). Rosacea may increase the risk of PLC. No causal link between rosacea and other cancer was observed. No heterogeneity or pleiotropy was observed. Reversed MR showed PLC has no causal effect on rosacea. Furthermore, disease-related genes were obtained. The intersecting genes between rosacea and PLC were identified. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed, these intersecting genes were associated with pathways related to immunity inflammation procedures or pathways.

This study provided new evidence of the relationship between rosacea and PLC. Rosacea may play a facilitative role in PLC progression. Identification of related genes related to rosacea and PLC offers new scene for investigating the potential pathogenesis of PLC, this could provide innovative and efficient ways to address PLC treatment.

Level II. Mendelian Randomized (MR) studies are second only to randomized controlled trials in terms of the level of evidence.

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