Expanding the genetic landscape of endometriosis: Integrative -omics analyses uncover key pathways from a multi-ancestry study of over 900,000 women.

Abstract

We report the findings of a genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis of endometriosis consisting of a large portion (31%) of non-European samples across 14 biobanks worldwide as part of the Global Biobank Meta-Analysis Initiative (GBMI). We identified 45 significant loci using a wide phenotype definition, seven of which are previously unreported and detected first genome-wide significant locus ( POLR2M ) among only African-ancestry. Our narrow phenotypes and surgically confirmed case definitions for endometriosis analyses replicated the known loci near CDC42 , SKAP1 , and GREB1 . Through this large ancestry stratified analyses, we document heritability estimates in range of 10-12% for all ancestral groups. Thirty-eight loci had at least one variant in the credible set after fine-mapping. An imputed transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) identified 11 associated genes (two previously unreported), while the proteome-wide association study (PWAS) suggests significant association of R-spondin 3 (RSPO3) with wide endometriosis, which plays a crucial role in modulating the Wnt signaling pathway. Our diverse, comprehensive GWAS, coupled with integrative -omics analysis, identifies critical roles of immunopathogenesis, Wnt signaling, and balance between proliferation, differentiation, and migration of endometrial cells as hallmarks for endometriosis. These interconnected pathways and risk factors underscore a complex, multi-faceted etiology of endometriosis, suggesting multiple targets for precise and effective therapeutic interventions.