Potential causal effect of SLE on osteoporosis, and the mediation effect: a Mendelian randomisation study
Authors' conclusion
SLE appears to be a causal risk factor for osteoporosis. LDL-C and anti-inflammatory medication use mediate this relationship
Study context
- Population
- Publicly available GWAS of SLE in European and East Asian populations
- Comparison
- Genetically predicted SLE and osteoporosis, bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture risk
- Outcome
- Osteoporosis (causal association with SLE)
Methodological detailstwo-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR), meta-analysis with inverse variance weighting, multivariable MR, two-step mediation analysis, European and East Asian populations
- Two-sample MR
- Meta-analysis with inverse variance weighting
- Multivariable MR
- Two-step mediation analysis
- European and East Asian populations
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Osteoporosis
SLE and osteoporosis, East Asian (inverse variance weighting (IVW) meta-analysis), OR
1.023
CI 1.007 to 1.040p<0.01
Further pooled results
Reduced BMD
- East Asian, β (p<0.05)
- −0.0690
- European, β (p<0.05)
- −0.0109
Fracture risk
- European, OR (p<0.05)
- 1.002
- East Asian, OR (p=0.705); no significant association
- 1.010
Multivariable MR (MVMR), East Asian
- SLE-osteoporosis association nullified after adjusting for CVD and health status
Mediation analysis
- Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) mediation effect
- 0.1170
- Anti-inflammatory medication use mediation effect
- 0.0510
- No significant heterogeneity or pleiotropy
Original publication
Potential causal effect of SLE on osteoporosis, and the mediation effect: a Mendelian randomisation study. Lupus Sci Med. Published 29 September 2025. doi:10.
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