Trans-ethnic analysis in over 780,000 individuals yields new insights
into the genetic etiology of allergic diseases
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Increasing numbers of research have revealed an
etiological association between peripheral blood markers and allergy.
Nevertheless, whether these associations are causal and whether they
vary among different allergic diseases and ethnicities remain unclear.
METHODS: 32 peripheral biomarkers with consistent definition
were collected from three nationwide biobanks (UK Biobank, FinnGen, and
BioBank Japan). Summary-level data for asthma (n=774,328), dermatitis
(n=880,733), and allergic rhinitis (n=893,300) were obtained from these
biobanks. Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses and meta-analyses were
applied to explore the generalizability and heterogeneity of causal
effects among different allergic diseases and ethnicities. The clinical
data (n=9,877) in China and US were collected to verify peripheral
markers affecting allergy. RESULTS: The MR analyses provided
consistent evidence for the causal effects of seven shared heritable
factors (eosinophil, neutrophil, basophil, glomerular filtration rate,
mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, platelet distribution width,
and hematocrit) on broad allergic disease phenotype in both ethnic
groups, three of which are new. These findings are further corroborated
by our observational studies in China and US. Glucose showed a causal
effect on allergy in Europeans while five factors, including c-reactive
protein/CRP, LDL cholesterol/LDLC, total cholesterol/TC, hemoglobin
A1c/Hb1Ac, and glucose, are important for East Asians. Moreover, we
observed trans-ethnic evidence for the causal effects of five factors
(CRP, white blood cell/WBC, total protein, albumin, and hemoglobin
concentration) on asthma, two factors (aspartate aminotransferase and
WBC) on dermatitis, and LDLC on allergic rhinitis, reflecting the
etiological discrepancy among different allergic diseases. In East
Asians, we also noticed the ethnic-specific causalities of triglyceride
on asthma, alanine aminotransferase on dermatitis, and three factors
(monocyte, albumin, and creatinine) on allergic rhinitis.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the causal effects of 22 blood
heritable factors on allergic diseases, providing novel insights into
the comprehensive assessment of allergic risks and the design of
universal and personalized interventions.