Impact of anti-VZV IgG levels on Parkinson’s disease risk and progression: a Mendelian randomization analysis
Research suggests a potential link between varicella zoster virus (VZV) and Parkinson's disease (PD), but the causal relationship between anti-VZV IgG levels and PD is not well understood. Using two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR), we assessed the causal impact of anti-VZV IgG levels on PD risk and progression. Our study found a significant association between higher anti-VZV IgG levels and an increased risk of PD. For PD progression, higher anti-VZV IgG levels were linked to a greater risk of constipation, insomnia, and Restless Legs. These findings remained consistent after sensitivity analyses. In conclusion, our study suggests that elevated anti-VZV IgG levels may contribute to an increased risk and progression of PD, supporting a potential causal link that warrants further mechanistic investigation.
Authors
- Yasaman Alizadeh
- Ying Hou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5366-9934)
- Qianqian Wu
- Sheng‐mei Ma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4107-4693)
- Zhenke Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2746-8642)
- Guangjian Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0663-6256)
- Chao Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5930-3602)
- Weiguo Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8125-3824)
- Jinxing Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7940-1653)
- Qi Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7742-6147)
- Hong Wang
- Xingang Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0878-0211)
- Xiangchen Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9312-3306)
- Junheng Jia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1404-1116)
- H.C. Lin
Institutions
- University of Manchester (GB)
- Weifang People's Hospital (CN)
- Shandong Provincial QianFoShan Hospital (CN)
- Integration Innovation (United States) (US)
- Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Scientific Reports
- Published
- 2025-04-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-96382-z
- Primary Topic
- RNA regulation and disease
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province