Investigating the causal relationship between circulating inflammatory proteins and tinnitus: Insights from a Mendelian Randomization study

Tinnitus, a condition characterized by the perception of ringing in the ears, significantly impacts quality of life, yet its underlying biological mechanisms remain poorly understood. Emerging evidence suggests a role for inflammation in tinnitus pathophysiology. This study employs a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) approach to investigate the causal relationship between circulating inflammatory proteins and tinnitus. Genetic data from large-scale pQTL and GWAS datasets were analyzed to identify potential causal links. The results reveal that elevated levels of CCL19, CXCL11, and TNFSF12 are positively associated with tinnitus risk, while CD40L and IL-10 exhibit protective effects. Reverse MR analysis suggests that tinnitus may weakly influence levels of Cystatin D, IL-18, and MCP-1, though these associations require further validation. These findings provide novel insights into the inflammatory pathways involved in tinnitus, paving the way for targeted therapeutic strategies and future research into anti-inflammatory interventions.