Interplay between polygenic risk score and solar insolation: Implication for systemic lupus erythematosus diagnosis and pathogenesis

Objectives

This research elucidates the correlation between solar radiation insolation, polygenic risk score (PRS), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) diagnosis, utilizing genomic, environmental, and clinical data.

Methods

We included 1,800 SLE participants and 1,800 controls from the Taiwan Precision Medicine Initiative, genotyped via the Affymetrix Genome-Wide TWB 2.0 SNP Array. The study employed a SLE-PRS tailored for individuals of Taiwanese ancestry, comprising 27 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). QGIS computed solar radiation insolation from participants' residences. We employed logistic regression to investigate the associations between SLE-PRS, solar insolation susceptibility, and SLE. Additive and multiplicative interactions were utilized to assess the interactions between solar insolation and SLE-PRS regarding the risk of SLE.

Results

SLE patients showed decreased solar insolation (p < 0.001). The highest decile of SLE-PRS exhibited a statistically significant lower solar insolation 1, 3, 6, and 12 months prior to diagnosis as compared to the lowest decile. Specifically, there were significant differences observed at 1 and 12 months (p = 0.025 and p = 0.004, respectively). It suggests that higher SLE-PRS correlated with reduced solar insolation tolerance. We observed an increase in SLE risk across ascending SLE-PRS percentiles exclusively in the high solar insolation group, not in the low solar insolation group. However, the interaction effect of SLE-PRS and solar insolation on SLE risk is not statistically significant. Compared to the lowest decile, the highest SLE-PRS decile showed a 10.98-fold increase in SLE risk (95 % CI, 3.773–31.952, p < 0.001). High SLE-PRS scores in conjunction with high solar insolation contribute to SLE incidence.

Conclusions

Our study unveils the intertwined nature of UV insolation and polygenic risks in SLE. Future studies should explore the preventative potential of robust solar radiation protection for high-risk individuals before the disease onset.