{"title":"Circulating branched-chain amino acids and risk of psychiatric disorders: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study","authors":"Xueren Gao, Weichao Zhang, Fang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jpsychores.2025.112101","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Several studies have identified biomarkers that help in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of psychiatric disorders. The current study aimed to explore the association between circulating branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) and the risk of five psychiatric disorders.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>GWAS summary statistics were obtained from the UK Biobank and the FinnGen Biobank. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used as a primary method to assess causal effects. The heterogeneity test, the horizontal pleiotropy test, and leave-one-out analysis were used to assess the robustness and reliability of the results.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Total BCAA levels were not significantly associated with the risk of anxiety disorders, alcohol dependence, depression, panic disorder, and bipolar affective disorders. Separate analyses for each BCAA showed that the levels of valine and leucine were not associated with the risk of the mentioned five psychiatric disorders, and the levels of isoleucine were not associated with the risk of depression, panic disorder, and bipolar affective disorders, but with the risk of anxiety disorders (IVW: OR = 0.814, 95 %CI = 0.716–0.925) and alcohol dependence (IVW: 0.690, 95 %CI = 0.560–0.849).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Circulating isoleucine was a protective factor for anxiety disorders and alcohol dependence, offering a new research direction and theoretical basis for preventing and managing psychiatric disorders.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50074,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psychosomatic Research","volume":"192 ","pages":"Article 112101"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Psychosomatic Research","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022399925000650","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PSYCHIATRY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective
Several studies have identified biomarkers that help in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of psychiatric disorders. The current study aimed to explore the association between circulating branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) and the risk of five psychiatric disorders.
Methods
GWAS summary statistics were obtained from the UK Biobank and the FinnGen Biobank. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used as a primary method to assess causal effects. The heterogeneity test, the horizontal pleiotropy test, and leave-one-out analysis were used to assess the robustness and reliability of the results.
Results
Total BCAA levels were not significantly associated with the risk of anxiety disorders, alcohol dependence, depression, panic disorder, and bipolar affective disorders. Separate analyses for each BCAA showed that the levels of valine and leucine were not associated with the risk of the mentioned five psychiatric disorders, and the levels of isoleucine were not associated with the risk of depression, panic disorder, and bipolar affective disorders, but with the risk of anxiety disorders (IVW: OR = 0.814, 95 %CI = 0.716–0.925) and alcohol dependence (IVW: 0.690, 95 %CI = 0.560–0.849).
Conclusions
Circulating isoleucine was a protective factor for anxiety disorders and alcohol dependence, offering a new research direction and theoretical basis for preventing and managing psychiatric disorders.
目的几项研究已经确定了有助于预防、诊断和治疗精神疾病的生物标志物。目前的研究旨在探索循环支链氨基酸(BCAA)与五种精神疾病风险之间的关系。方法从英国生物银行(UK Biobank)和芬兰生物银行(FinnGen Biobank)汇总统计数据。采用逆方差加权法(IVW)作为评估因果效应的主要方法。采用异质性检验、水平多效性检验和留一分析来评估结果的稳健性和可靠性。结果总BCAA水平与焦虑障碍、酒精依赖、抑郁、恐慌障碍和双相情感障碍的风险无显著相关。对每种BCAA的单独分析显示,缬氨酸和亮氨酸水平与上述五种精神疾病的风险无关,异亮氨酸水平与抑郁症、恐慌症和双相情感障碍的风险无关,但与焦虑症(IVW: OR = 0.814, 95% CI = 0.716-0.925)和酒精依赖(IVW: 0.690, 95% CI = 0.560-0.849)的风险相关。结论循环异亮氨酸是焦虑障碍和酒精依赖的保护因子,为精神障碍的预防和管理提供了新的研究方向和理论依据。
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Psychosomatic Research is a multidisciplinary research journal covering all aspects of the relationships between psychology and medicine. The scope is broad and ranges from basic human biological and psychological research to evaluations of treatment and services. Papers will normally be concerned with illness or patients rather than studies of healthy populations. Studies concerning special populations, such as the elderly and children and adolescents, are welcome. In addition to peer-reviewed original papers, the journal publishes editorials, reviews, and other papers related to the journal''s aims.