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Kuś A, Kjaergaard AD, Marouli E, Fabiola Del Greco M, Sterenborg RB, Chaker L, Peeters RP, Bednarczuk T, Åsvold BO, Burgess S, Deloukas P, Teumer A, Ellervik C, Medici M. Thyroid Function and Mood Disorders: A Mendelian Randomization Study. Thyroid 2021; 31:1171-1181. [PMID: 33899528 PMCID: PMC7612998 DOI: 10.1089/thy.2020.0884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Background: Observational studies suggest that even minor variations in thyroid function are associated with the risk of mood disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD). However, it is unknown whether these associations are causal or not. We used a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to investigate causal effects of minor variations in thyrotropin (TSH) and free thyroxine (fT4) levels on MDD and BD risk. Materials and Methods: We performed two-sample MR analyses using data from the largest publicly available genome-wide association studies on normal-range TSH (n = 54,288) and fT4 (n = 49,269) levels, MDD (170,756 cases, 329,443 controls) and BD (20,352 cases, 31,358 controls). Secondary MR analyses investigated the effects of TSH and fT4 levels on specific MDD and BD subtypes. Reverse MR was also performed to assess the effects of MDD and BD on TSH and fT4 levels. Results: There were no associations between genetically predicted TSH and fT4 levels and MDD risk, nor MDD subtypes and minor depressive symptoms. A one standard deviation increase in fT4 levels was nominally associated with an 11% decrease in the overall BD risk (odds ratio [OR] = 0.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.80-0.98, p = 0.022) and a 13% decrease in the BD type 1 risk (OR = 0.87, CI = 0.75-1.00, p = 0.047). In the reverse direction, genetic predisposition to MDD and BD was not associated with TSH nor fT4 levels. Conclusions: Variations in normal-range TSH and fT4 levels have no effects on the risk of MDD and its subtypes, and neither on minor depressive symptoms. This indicates that depressive symptoms should not be attributed to minor variations in thyroid function. Borderline associations with BD and BD type 1 risks suggest that further clinical studies should investigate the effect of thyroid hormone treatment in BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksander Kuś
- Academic Center for Thyroid Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 CE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Dr. Molewaterplein 50, 3015 GE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1a, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Alisa D. Kjaergaard
- Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus, Aarhus University Hospital, Hedeager 3, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Eirini Marouli
- William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, EC1M 6BQ London, UK
- Centre for Genomic Health, Life Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, EC1M 6BQ London, UK
| | - M. Fabiola Del Greco
- Institute for Biomedicine, Eurac Research, Affiliated Institute of the University of Lubeck, Via Galvani 31, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Rosalie B.T.M. Sterenborg
- Academic Center for Thyroid Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 CE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Dr. Molewaterplein 50, 3015 GE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Layal Chaker
- Academic Center for Thyroid Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 CE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Dr. Molewaterplein 50, 3015 GE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Robin P. Peeters
- Academic Center for Thyroid Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 CE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Dr. Molewaterplein 50, 3015 GE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tomasz Bednarczuk
- Department of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1a, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Bjørn O. Åsvold
- K.G. Jebsen Center for Genetic Epidemiology, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Post box 8905, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Endocrinology, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Prinsesse Kristinas gate 3, 7030 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Stephen Burgess
- MRC Biostatistics Unit, Cambridge Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0SR, UK
- Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, 2 Worts Causeway, Cambridge CB1 8RN, UK
| | - Panos Deloukas
- William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, EC1M 6BQ London, UK
- Centre for Genomic Health, Life Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, EC1M 6BQ London, UK
- Princess Al-Jawhara Al-Brahim Centre of Excellence in Research of Hereditary Disorders (PACER-HD), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alexander Teumer
- Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, W.-Rathenau-Str. 48, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Greifswald, Fleischmannstr. 8, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Christina Ellervik
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, 02115 MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Nørre Alle 41, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marco Medici
- Academic Center for Thyroid Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 CE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Dr. Molewaterplein 50, 3015 GE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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