Association of genetic predisposition to immune-related biomarkers with premenstrual disorders and symptom severity.
8 affiliations
- 1Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, China Health Center for Mental Disorders, Sichuan University, 37 Guoxue Ln, Chengdu, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China.
- 2West China School of Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- 3Department of Thoracic Surgery, Institute of Thoracic Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- 4Health Management Center, Innovation Institute for Integration of Medicine and Engineering, West China Hospital, General Practice Medical Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- 5Department of Anesthesiology and West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- 6Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, China Health Center for Mental Disorders, Sichuan University, 37 Guoxue Ln, Chengdu, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China. [email protected].
- 7Health Management Center, Innovation Institute for Integration of Medicine and Engineering, West China Hospital, General Practice Medical Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. [email protected].
- 8Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. [email protected].
Abstract
Background
Premenstrual disorders (PMD), including premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and the more severe premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), are burdensome conditions with unclear mechanisms. While inflammation is implicated, biomarker research is challenged by inconsistent findings and cyclical fluctuations. This study utilized polygenic risk scores (PRS) to investigate the association between lifelong genetic predisposition to altered immune-related cell counts and PMD risk and symptom severity.Methods
This cross-sectional study included 1,730 Chinese college students from the Care of Premenstrual Emotion cohort. PRS were calculated for seven immune biomarkers: white blood cell (WBC), basophil, eosinophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, neutrophil, and C-reactive protein. Probable PMD cases and symptom severity (total, physical, affective) were assessed using a modified Calendar of Premenstrual Experiences. Generalized estimating equations estimated risk ratios (RR) and β-coefficients, adjusting for confounders.Results
Overall, 424 (24.5%) participants met probable PMD criteria, including 379 (21.9%) with PMS and 45 (2.6%) with PMDD. The PRS for WBC showed a suggestive, non-significant association with diagnosis (RR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.00-1.18; P = 0.062). No other immune PRS showed significant associations. A higher PRS for WBC was associated with physical symptom severity (β = 0.05; 95% CI, 0.00-0.10; P = 0.047). This association was stronger in women with symptom onset at menarche (β = 0.47; 95% CI, 0.15-0.78; P = 0.008). The highest quintile of PRS for WBC exhibited greater severity across all domains versus the lowest, suggesting a possible graded pattern. Item-level analyses suggested signals for limb swelling, increased appetite, and food cravings.Conclusions
The PRS for WBC may be associated with premenstrual symptom severity, specifically physical domains. These findings suggest that inflammatory liability may contribute to the physical symptom burden of PMD, but replication in prospectively phenotyped cohorts with detailed gynecologic and medical comorbidity data is needed.Trial registration
Not applicable.
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BibTeX
@article{luo2026association,
title = {{Association of genetic predisposition to immune-related biomarkers with premenstrual disorders and symptom severity.}},
author = {Yijie Luo and Jiantong Sun and Min Chen and Qing Pan and Ting Pan and Jin Huang and Huan Song and Yuchen Li and Donghao Lu},
journal = {BMC psychiatry},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12888-026-08443-w},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42972303},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Association of genetic predisposition to immune-related biomarkers with premenstrual disorders and symptom severity.
AU - Yijie Luo
AU - Jiantong Sun
AU - Min Chen
AU - Qing Pan
AU - Ting Pan
AU - Jin Huang
AU - Huan Song
AU - Yuchen Li
AU - Donghao Lu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/05
JO - BMC psychiatry
DO - 10.1186/s12888-026-08443-w
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42972303
AB - Background Premenstrual disorders (PMD), including premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and the more severe premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), are burdensome conditions with unclear mechanisms. While inflammation is implicated, biomarker research is challenged by inconsistent findings and cyclical fluctuations. This study utilized polygenic risk scores (PRS) to investigate the association between lifelong genetic predisposition to altered immune-related cell counts and PMD risk and symptom severity.Methods This cross-sectional study included 1,730 Chinese college students from the Care of Premenstrual Emotion cohort. PRS were calculated for seven immune biomarkers: white blood cell (WBC), basophil, eosinophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, neutrophil, and C-reactive protein. Probable PMD cases and symptom severity (total, physical, affective) were assessed using a modified Calendar of Premenstrual Experiences. Generalized estimating equations estimated risk ratios (RR) and β-coefficients, adjusting for confounders.Results Overall, 424 (24.5%) participants met probable PMD criteria, including 379 (21.9%) with PMS and 45 (2.6%) with PMDD. The PRS for WBC showed a suggestive, non-significant association with diagnosis (RR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.00-1.18; P = 0.062). No other immune PRS showed significant associations. A higher PRS for WBC was associated with physical symptom severity (β = 0.05; 95% CI, 0.00-0.10; P = 0.047). This association was stronger in women with symptom onset at menarche (β = 0.47; 95% CI, 0.15-0.78; P = 0.008). The highest quintile of PRS for WBC exhibited greater severity across all domains versus the lowest, suggesting a possible graded pattern. Item-level analyses suggested signals for limb swelling, increased appetite, and food cravings.Conclusions The PRS for WBC may be associated with premenstrual symptom severity, specifically physical domains. These findings suggest that inflammatory liability may contribute to the physical symptom burden of PMD, but replication in prospectively phenotyped cohorts with detailed gynecologic and medical comorbidity data is needed.Trial registration Not applicable.
SN - 1471-244X
ER -