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We thank the Blood Cell Consortium and European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) database for developing their data resources of leukocyte traits and we also thank the IEU open gwas project for providing RA summary statistics data for our analyses.

Analysis of institutional authors

Zhang, He-YiAuthor

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October 14, 2024
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Genetic evidence for causal effects of leukocyte counts on risk for rheumatoid arthritis

Publicated to:Scientific Reports. 13 (1): 20768- - 2023-11-26 13(1), DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46888-1

Authors: You, Jin-Mei; Zhang, Yao-Chen; Fan, Ke-Yi; Bai, Shang-Kai; Zhang, Zi-Yu; Zhang, He-Yi; Cheng, Ting; Huo, Yue-Hong; Wang, Cai-Hong; Li, Xiao-Feng; Zhang, Sheng-Xiao

Affiliations

Fifth Peoples Hosp Datong, Dept Rheumatol, Datong, Shanxi, Peoples R China - Author
Shanxi Med Univ, Dept Clinicallab, Hosp 2, Taiyuan, Shanxi, Peoples R China - Author
Shanxi Med Univ, Dept Rheumatol, Hosp 2, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, Peoples R China - Author
Shanxi Med Univ, Key Lab Cellular Physiol, Minist Educ, Taiyuan, Shanxi, Peoples R China - Author
Shanxi Prov Key Lab Rheumatism Immune Microecol, Taiyuan, Shanxi, Peoples R China - Author
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Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the accumulation of leukocytes and inflammatory mediators within the synovial tissue. Leukocyte counts are proposed to play a role in the pathogenesis of RA. However, the causality remains unclear. To investigate the causal relationship between various leukocytes and RA by implementing two-sample univariable Mendelian Randomization (MR) and multivariable MR. MR analysis was performed using respective genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics for the exposure traits (eosinophil counts, neutrophil counts, lymphocyte counts, monocyte counts, basophil counts, and white blood cell counts) and outcome trait (RA). Summary statistics for leukocytes were extracted from the Blood Cell Consortium meta-analysis and INTERVAL studies. Public GWAS information for RA included 14,361 cases and 43,923 controls. Inverse variance weighted, weighted median, MR-Egger regression, MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier, and multivariable MR analyses were performed in MR analysis. Univariable MR found elevated eosinophil counts (OR 1.580, 95% CI 1.389-2.681, p = 1.30 x 10-7) significantly increased the risk of RA. Multivariable MR further confirmed that eosinophil counts were a risk factor for RA. Increased eosinophils were associated with higher risk of RA. Further elucidations of the causality and mechanisms underlying are likely to identify feasible interventions to promote RA prevention.

Keywords

AutoimmuneBiasCellsEosinophiliaForGranule proteinsInstrumentsMendelian randomizationMonocyteNeutrophil

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Scientific Reports due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2023, it was in position 25/134, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Multidisciplinary Sciences.

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from the Field Citation Ratio (FCR) of the Dimensions source, it yields a value of: 1.96, which indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: Dimensions Jul 2025)

Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2025-07-04, the following number of citations:

  • WoS: 1

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-07-04:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 6.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 6 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 0.75.
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 2 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: China.