Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40307628›Full record

ArticleEndocrine2025

Causal associations between congenital adrenal hyperplasia and neuropsychiatric conditions- a Mendelian Randomization Study.

Yang Liu, Xiaokun Gang, Yuan Gao, Guixia Wang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Endocrine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Yang LiuDepartment of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China.
Xiaokun GangDepartment of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China.
Yuan GaoDepartment of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China.
Guixia WangDepartment of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China. gwang168@jlu.edu.cn.

Funding

Clinical Medical Research Center of Jilin Provincial Department of Science and Technology YDZJ202202CXJD042Major Special Projects of Jilin Provincial Department of Science and Technology (20210303001SFNational Natural Science Foundation of China General Project 82270850
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCongenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), predominantly caused by 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD) due to CYP21A2 mutations, disrupts cortisol synthesis and adrenal androgen homeostasis. Observational studies suggest CAH patients exhibit elevated risks of neuropsychiatric disorders, but causal mechanisms remain unestablished. We hypothesized that reduced CYP21A2 expression, reflecting CAH, differentially influences psychiatric outcomes via tissue-specific pathways.

methodsUsing two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR), we analyzed tissue-specific CYP21A2 expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) from adrenal (GTEx v8) and whole blood (GTEx v8 and eQTLGen meta-analysis). Genetic instruments were validated via positive control MR with classical CAH biomarkers. Associations with ten neuropsychiatric disorders were assessed using inverse-variance-weighted MR, supplemented by sensitivity analyses (LCV, SMR) and LD score regression.

resultsAdrenal-derived CYP21A2 downregulation reduced Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk (discovery: OR = 1.245, replication: OR = 1.100) but increased autism spectrum disorder (ASD) susceptibility (discovery: OR = 0.766, replication: OR = 0.659). Conversely, blood-derived eQTLs showed opposing effects that decreased ASD risk (discovery: OR = 1.072, replication: OR = 1.071) and elevated AD risk (OR = 0.968 for both discovery and replication). Both tissues linked reduced CYP21A2 expression to elevated bioavailable testosterone (adrenal: OR = 0.972, p = 0.04; blood: OR = 0.983, p = 0.01), consistent with CAH pathophysiology.

conclusionOur research indicates that adrenal-driven pathways of CYP21A2 deficiency may reduce the risk of AD while increasing the ASD risk. These findings underscore the pivotal role of endocrine mechanisms in the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders and advocate for personalized CAH management integrating mental health monitoring.

Indexed as

Adrenal Hyperplasia, CongenitalAutism Spectrum DisorderMental DisordersSteroid 21-HydroxylaseFemaleGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseHumansMaleMendelian Randomization AnalysisQuantitative Trait LociCYP21A2 protein, humanSteroid 21-Hydroxylase21-hydroxylase deficiencyCongenital adrenal hyperplasiaExpression quantitative trait lociMendelian randomization

Identifiers

PMID40307628
PMCPMC12227516

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.