Identification of novel targets for ankylosing spondylitis through integrated transcriptome-wide association analysis and Mendelian randomization: Medical thermography analysis

Abstract

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that mainly affects the spine and joints and seriously affects the quality of life of patients. Medical thermal imaging, as a non-invasive and real-time imaging technique, can be used to evaluate inflammation and blood flow changes. This study aims to identify new targets for ankylosing spondylitis by integrating transcriptome broad association analysis and Mendelian randomization, combined with medical thermal imaging technology, and provide basis for its early diagnosis and treatment. The study performed transcriptome extensive association analysis to identify genes associated with ankylosing spondylitis. The causal relationship between these genes and disease risk was then analyzed using Mendelian randomization. The researchers then conducted a detailed assessment of all participants using advanced medical thermal imaging techniques designed to detect and identify signs of local and systemic inflammation, revealing differences in thermal imaging characteristics between patients with ankylosing spondylitis and healthy people. Transcriptome analysis identified multiple candidate genes that showed significant associations in the onset of AS. After Mendelian randomization, it was confirmed that several of these genes have causal relationship.