Causal association between multiple sclerosis and trigeminal neuralgia: A Mendelian randomization study with meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: This study utilized a meta-analysis of two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the causal link between multiple sclerosis (MS) and trigeminal neuralgia (TN). METHODS: Using genetic summary data from the OpenGWAS database (European descent), researchers identified eight MS GWAS studies as exposures and one TN study as the outcome. Ten MR approaches, including IVW and MR-Egger, were employed. Pooled estimates were calculated using a fixed-effects inverse-variance model, with significance set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: Seven of the eight MS exposures showed a positive causal association with TN. The meta-analysis confirmed that MS significantly increases TN risk by 11% (IVW: 95% CI = 1.05-1.16; P < 0.001). Sensitivity analyses indicated no evidence of pleiotropy or heterogeneity, ensuring robust findings. CONCLUSION: Genetic predisposition to MS is a causal factor for TN. Further research is required to explore underlying biological pathways and validate these results across diverse populations.