ArticleBrain and behavior2026
APOE and Cerebral Microbleeds: Insights Into Causal Proteins and Therapeutic Targets.
Article in Brain and behavior, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundCerebral microbleeds (CMBs) are small chronic brain hemorrhages that can be linked to cognitive decline and stroke risk. Understanding the underlying genetic and proteomic mechanisms can enhance therapeutic interventions. This study aimed to explore the relationship between circulating proteins (cis-pQTLs) and CMBs using Mendelian randomization (MR) and colocalization analysis, along with protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction and the evaluation of lifestyle factors influencing CMB-related proteins.
methodsA two-sample MR approach was employed to investigate potential causal relationships between protein levels and CMB risk using cis-pQTLs as instrumental variables. Colocalization analysis was conducted to assess whether the same genetic variants influence both circulating proteins and CMB susceptibility. Additionally, a PPI network was built to prioritize therapeutic targets, and drug efficacy was evaluated using known protein targets. A systematic MR analysis examined the impact of 17 healthy lifestyle factors on CMB-related proteins.
resultsMR analysis revealed an association between 79 plasma proteins and CMBs, with one protein remaining significant after false discovery rate correction. Colocalization analysis identified APOE as a causal protein for CMBs, supported by a strong posterior probability (PP4 = 0.996). PPI network analysis highlighted the potential bleeding risks of antithrombotic medications in CMB pathogenesis and Rosuvastatin. Furthermore, MR analysis showed that dietary factors, particularly cooked vegetable intake, were associated with APOE-related pathways, though these findings warrant cautious interpretation regarding lifestyle modifications.
conclusionsThis study provides evidence for a causal relationship between circulating proteins and CMBs, with APOE identified as a key factor. The identification of coagulation-related proteins highlights the potential risks of antithrombotic medications in CMB pathogenesis. Lifestyle factors may influence protein-mediated CMB risk, suggesting avenues for future research into gene-environment interactions.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
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.