Genetically proxied low-density lipoprotein cholesterol lowering via PCSK9-inhibitor drug targets and risk of congenital malformations

© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology..

AIMS: Current guidelines advise against the use of lipid-lowering drugs during pregnancy. This is based only on previous observational evidence demonstrating an association between statin use and congenital malformations, which is increasingly controversial. In the absence of clinical trial data, we aimed to use drug-target Mendelian randomization to model the potential impact of fetal LDL-lowering, overall and through PCSK9 drug targets, on congenital malformations.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Instrumental variants influencing LDL levels overall and through PCSK9-inhibitor drug targets were extracted from genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data for LDL on 1 320 016 individuals. Instrumental variants influencing circulating PCSK9 levels (pQTLs) and liver PCSK9 gene expression levels (eQTLs) were extracted, respectively, from a GWAS on 10 186 individuals and from the genotype-tissue expression project. Gene-outcome association data was extracted from the 7th release of GWAS summary data on the FinnGen cohort (n = 342 499) for eight categories of congenital malformations affecting multiple systems. Genetically proxied LDL-lowering through PCSK9 was associated with higher odds of malformations affecting multiple systems [OR 2.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.30-5.63, P = 0.018], the skin (OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.33-3.75, P = 0.007), and the vertebral, anorectal, cardiovascular, tracheo-esophageal, renal, and limb association (VACTERL) (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.16-1.96, P = 0.007). An association was also found with obstructive defects of the renal pelvis and ureter, but this association was suggestive of horizontal pleiotropy. Lower PCSK9 pQTLs were associated with the same congenital malformations.

CONCLUSION: These data provide genetic evidence supporting current manufacturer advice to avoid the use of PCSK9 inhibitors during pregnancy.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2024

Erschienen:

2024

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - year:2024

Enthalten in:

European journal of preventive cardiology - (2024) vom: 31. Jan.

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Ardissino, Maddalena [VerfasserIn]
Slob, Eric A W [VerfasserIn]
Reddy, Rohin K [VerfasserIn]
Morley, Alec P [VerfasserIn]
Schuermans, Art [VerfasserIn]
Hill, Phoebe [VerfasserIn]
Williamson, Catherine [VerfasserIn]
Honigberg, Michael C [VerfasserIn]
de Marvao, Antonio [VerfasserIn]
Ng, Fu Siong [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Congenital malformations
Journal Article
Low-density lipoprotein
Mendelian randomization
PCSK9-inhibitors
Pregnancy

Anmerkungen:

Date Revised 03.04.2024

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status Publisher

doi:

10.1093/eurjpc/zwad402

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM367843722