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Causal Effect Between Natural Hair Color and Endometriosis in a European Population: A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 February 2025

Yuping Zhang Open the ORCID record for Yuping Zhang [Opens in a new window]  and
Ying Feng
Yuping Zhang
Affiliation:
West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Ying Feng*
Affiliation:
West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
*
Corresponding author: Ying Feng; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Previous observational studies have suggested an association between natural hair color and the risk of endometriosis; however, the causal relationship remains unclear. Here, we conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study to evaluate the potential causal link between natural hair color and endometriosis using 428 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as genetic instruments derived from a genomewide meta-analysis comprising over 4511 cases and 227,260 controls of European ancestry. Our findings indicate that dark brown hair is associated with a decreased risk of developing endometriosis (dark brown IVW OR: 0.844, 95% CI [0.725, 0.984], p < .05). Conversely, dark hair color and lighter hair colors (red, blonde, and light brown) did not demonstrate a significant association with endometriosis risk (dark IVW OR: 0.568, 95% CI [0.280, 1.15], p = .117; red IVW OR: 1.058, 95% CI [0.719, 1.558], p = .77; blonde IVW OR: 1.158, 95% CI [0.886, 1.514], p = .28; light brown IVW OR: 1.306, 95% CI [0.978, 1.743], p = .07). These results provide compelling MR evidence supporting a causal association between natural hair color and endometriosis risk. Our findings underscore the need for larger scale studies and randomized controlled trials to delineate the biological mechanisms driving the association between hair color and endometriosis.

Keywords

Hair colorEndometriosisMendelian randomizationSusceptibilityRisk factors
Type
Article
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Twin Research and Human Genetics , First View , pp. 1 - 11
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of International Society for Twin Studies

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