Causal link between thyroid function and schizophrenia: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study

Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder with inconsistent behavioral and cognitive abnormalities with profound effects on the individual and the society.

Individuals with schizophrenia have altered thyroid function, but results from observational studies are conflicting.

To date, it remains unclear whether and in which direction there is a causal relationship between thyroid function and schizophrenia.

To investigate causal paths, a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was conducted using summary statistics from genome-wide association studies including up to 330,132 Europeans.

Thyroid function was described by the normal-range thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine levels as well as an increased and decreased TSH status.

The iterative radial inverse-variance weighted approach with modified second order weights was used as the main method.

Based on a discovery and replication sample for schizophrenia, pooled effect estimates were derived using a fixed-effect meta-analysis.

Robustness of results was assessed using both a range of pleiotropy robust methods and a network analysis that clustered genetic instruments potentially responsible for horizontal pleiotropy.

Genetic liability for hypothyroidism was inversely associated with schizophrenia ( $$\beta =-0.06$$ ; 95% CI: (-0.10; -0.02); $$P=0.004$$ ).

No notable associations were observed between other thyroid parameters and schizophrenia.

Furthermore, no associations could be detected in the reverse direction.

Our results suggest that an elevated level of TSH reduce the risk for schizophrenia.

The role of thyroid function and the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis in the development of schizophrenia should be subject of further research.