Genetically Determined Metabolites in Allergic Conjunctivitis: A Mendelian Randomization Study

This study investigates the metabolic basis of allergic conjunctivitis (AC) using Mendelian Randomization and Linkage Disequilibrium Score Regression on a large cohort of 20,958 AC cases and 356,319 controls. It identifies 18 blood metabolites significantly associated with AC risk, with 16 remaining significant after sensitivity tests. Notably, palmitate and oleoylcarnitine have protective effects, while carnitine and taurodeoxycholate increase risk. The study confirms the heritability of 8 metabolites, suggesting a causal link to AC, and highlights the potential for metabolic profiling in early prediction, targeted prevention, and personalized treatment of AC. However, the reliance on the FinnGen database limits generalizability, emphasizing the need for further research in diverse populations.