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Genetically Determined Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation and Hundreds of Health Outcomes in the UK Biobank and the FinnGen Population: A Phenome-Wide Mendelian Randomization Study
Si S, Li J, Tewara MA, Xue F.. Frontiers in immunology, 2021-07-27
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Background C-reactive protein (CRP) has been used as a biomarker of chronic low-grade inflammation in observational studies. We aimed to determine whether genetically determined CRP was associated with hundreds of human phenotypes to guide anti-inflammatory interventions. Methods We used individual data from the UK Biobank to perform a phenome-wide two-stage least squares (2SLS) Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis for CRP with 879 diseases.
Key findings
- We aimed to determine whether genetically determined CRP was associated with hundreds of human phenotypes to guide anti-inflammatory interventions.
- Methods We used individual data from the UK Biobank to perform a phenome-wide two-stage least squares (2SLS) Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis for CRP with 879 diseases.
- Summary-level data from the FinnGen consortium were utilized to perform phenome-wide two-sample MR analysis on 821 phenotypes.
- Systematic two-sample MR methods included MR-IVW, MR-WME, MR-Mod, and MR-PRESSO as sensitivity analyses combined with multivariable MR to identify robust associations.
Why it matters
This Mendelian randomization study examined whether genetically determined C-reactive protein, a marker of chronic low-grade inflammation, was linked to hundreds of health outcomes including diseases in UK Biobank and FinnGen data. It explores possible targets for anti-inflammatory interventions but does not test any treatment or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 42/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Frontiers in immunology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Frontiers in Immunology: journal h-index 352 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2021 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 64 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 9.1 citations a year over 7 year(s) since 2021 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 44 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Fuzhong Xue: h-index 44 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Shandong University: institution h-index 615 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 34386016) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 42 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.720876
- PubMed: 34386016
- Original source →
- Free full text: Frontiers in Immunology →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Si, S., Li, J., Tewara, M. A., & Xue, F. (2021). Genetically Determined Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation and Hundreds of Health Outcomes in the UK Biobank and the FinnGen Population: A Phenome-Wide Mendelian Randomization Study. Frontiers in immunology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.720876
Vancouver
Si S, Li J, Tewara MA, Xue F. Genetically Determined Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation and Hundreds of Health Outcomes in the UK Biobank and the FinnGen Population: A Phenome-Wide Mendelian Randomization Study. Frontiers in immunology. 2021. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2021.720876. PMID: 34386016.
BibTeX
@article{si2021-34386016,
author = {Si, S. and Li, J. and Tewara, M. A. and Xue, F.},
title = {{Genetically Determined Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation and Hundreds of Health Outcomes in the UK Biobank and the FinnGen Population: A Phenome-Wide Mendelian Randomization Study}},
journal = {Frontiers in immunology},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2021.720876},
pmid = {34386016},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.720876}
}
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