Polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) as 2 types of autoimmune diseases are frequently concomitant, and Mendelian randomization (MR) was applied in this study to assess the causal relationship between them. In this study, single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was used as the instrumental variable for Mendelian analysis, and the SNP data of GCA and PMR were obtained from the FinnGen Biobank databases. SNPs are significantly correlated with GCA and PMR and were screened based on preset thresholds. Inverse variance weighted analysis was used as the main analysis, supplemented with MR-Egger and weighted median. The evidence of the impact of GCA on PMR risk was found in inverse variance weighted results (odds ratio, 1.22 95% confidence interval, 1.11-1.34; P < .01), and the evidence of the impact of PMR on GCA risk has also been found (odds ratio, 1.58 95% confidence interval, 1.28-1.96; P < .01). Finally, the stability and reliability of the results were tested using the retention method, heterogeneity test, and horizontal gene pleiotropy test. MR analysis indicates that GCA increases the risk of PMR and PMR is an important risk factor for GCA, with a causal relationship. The potential value of reasonable management of PMR in patients with GCA has received high attention. In addition, novel GCA therapeutics may be indicated for PMR, and it is a potential for further investigation.