Genetic Association of the Transcriptome and Immunoglobulin G N-glycome with Cognitive Function.

OBJECTIVE

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) N-glycosylation is associated with mild cognitive impairment through the regulation of inflammatory balance; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

METHODS

Our study utilized a post-genome-wide association studies (GWAS) method that integrated GWAS data for cognitive function with gene expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL), protein QTL (pQTL), and IgG N-glycan-QTL data.

RESULTS

Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses suggested bidirectional causalities between glycan peaks (GPs) and cognitive function, with GP7, GP12, and GP19 showing a causal effect on cognitive function, while cognitive function conversely showed a causal effect on GP1 and GP8. Two proteins and 10 genes were implicated in the regulation of IgG N-glycosylation. Furthermore, multivariable MR results suggested complex causalities between genes/proteins and IgG N-glycans, which jointly promote or independently affect cognitive function.

CONCLUSION

Our study reveals a novel mechanism by which genes, proteins, and modified IgG N-glycans converge to pathologically affect cognitive function.