Abstract
Previous studies have reported abnormal brain activity in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), but the relationship between cortical structure and CRS remains unclear. Therefore, we employed a two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization(MR) analysis to investigate this relationship. Data from 17,989 CRS patients and 308,457 controls were used. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans were conducted on 51,665 individuals to measure surface area (SA), thickness (TH), and 34 specific functional regions. For preliminary estimates, we utilized the inverse variance weighted method. Heterogeneity and pleiotropy were assessed using Mendelian randomization-Egger intercept test, MR-PRESSO, Cochran's Q test, and leave-one-out sensitivity analysis. We observed an association between reduced lateral orbitofrontal surface area (OR = 1.12, P = 0.012) and increased pericalcarine TH (OR = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.71–0.93, p = 0.002) with an increased likelihood of CRS. MRI data from all subjects were collected and analyzed using surface-based morphometry (SBM). It was found that the cortical TH of the right lateral orbitofrontal region in CRS patients(2.79 ± 0.14) showed a notable increase compared to the healthy control group(2.71 ± 0.18). Our two-sample MR and cortical TH alteration analysis provided suggestive evidence that changes in specific brain regions are involved in CRS development, supporting the notion that the brain can influence the immune system. However, the specific mechanisms by which the brain exerts direct neural control over the immune system require further investigation.