Cross-Trait Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Shared Genetic Risk Loci Between COPD and Five Autoimmune Diseases.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) frequently co-occurs with autoimmune diseases (ADs), yet their shared genetic basis remains incompletely understood. This study aimed to evaluate genetic correlations between COPD and seven ADs and identify shared genetic risk loci underlying this comorbidity.

Methods: We integrated summary statistics from large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of COPD and seven ADs in European populations. Genetic correlations were assessed using linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC) and high-definition likelihood (HDL). Pleiotropic loci were identified via the Pleiotropic Analysis under Composite Null Hypothesis (PLACO) and annotated through the FUMA platform. Multidimensional enrichment analyses were conducted using MAGMA and Metascape, and complementary evidence for the identification of pleiotropic genes was provided by summary-based Mendelian randomization (SMR) and transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS).

Results: Significant genetic correlations were observed between COPD and five of the seven ADs analyzed. Joint analyses identified 57 shared risk loci, including 17q12 and 16p11.2, with 22 loci supported by colocalization evidence. MAGMA identified 162 pleiotropic genes, such as ORMDL3, GSDMB, and MAPK3. Pathway analyses demonstrated enrichment in immune-related processes, particularly T cell activation and regulation of immune responses. SMR and TWAS further implicated ORMDL3, PGAP3, MAPK3, and GMPPB as putative contributors to shared disease susceptibility. However, additional experimental validation is warranted to substantiate these associations.

Conclusion: This study highlights shared genetic loci and immune pathways linking COPD and ADs in European ancestry populations. Findings lay the groundwork for future research but require functional validation and replication in diverse cohorts to establish causality.