The impact of serum copper on the risk of epilepsy: a mendelian randomization study

Background The relationship between serum copper and epilepsy has been elucidated in observational studies. In this study, we aimed to explore the causal relationship between serum copper and epilepsy using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Methods Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with serum copper were used as instrumental variables for MR analysis to evaluate their causal effects on epilepsy. The main MR results were obtained by using the inverse variance weighting (IVW) method, supplemented by weighted median and MR-Egger regression. In addition, sensitivity analyses such as Cochran's Q test and pleiotropy test were used to assess these SNPs on epilepsy in terms of horizontal pleiotropy and heterogeneity. Results The IVW method revealed that the serum copper was associated with an increased risk of generalized epilepsy (OR= 1.07; 95% CI 1.01- 1.14; P = 0.032), and the sensitivity analysis further supports the robustness of the results. Conclusions The current study reveals a possible causal role for serum copper in increasing the risk of generalized epilepsy, which provide guidance for identifying potential risk factors for epilepsy.