Association of a Polygenic Risk Score with Diagnosis and Outcomes in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
- 2 July 2026
- journal article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
- Vol. 212 (10) , 2435-2444
Abstract
Rationale: Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by chronic progressive pulmonary fibrosis and high mortality. Genetic markers, summarized into a polygenic risk score (PRS), associate with IPF in well-phenotyped research cohorts. Objectives: To evaluate the performance of the PRS using real-world data from routinely captured electronic healthcare records. Methods: We conducted an observational study evaluating the association of a PRS for IPF with electronic healthcare record diagnosis of IPF as well as lung transplant-free survival in four independent cohorts; the Mass General Brigham Biobank (MGBB), Mayo Clinic Biobank (MCBB), Mayo Clinic Tapestry Cohort (Tapestry), and U.K. Biobank (UKBB). We used multivariable logistic regression and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models adjusting for age, gender, and principal components of ancestry. The cohorts then underwent fixed and random effects meta-analysis. Measurements and Main Results: Of 37,709; 44,195; 43,202; and 447,422 participants from MGBB, MCBB, Tapestry and UKBB respectively, 1,015 (2.7%) 2,879 (6.5%), 1,310 (3.0%), and 2,742 (0.6%) participants had an IPF diagnosis. Meta-analysis demonstrated a high-risk PRS associated with IPF diagnosis, OR 2.88 (95%CI 2.41-3.44) compared to all other individuals. A high-risk PRS also associated with the composite endpoint of mortality or lung transplant among those with an IPF diagnosis, HR 1.23(95%CI 1.11-1.35) compared to all other individuals. Conclusions: A PRS can identify those at risk for an IPF diagnosis and mortality in biobank-scale data, which may have implications for clinical decisions. Further work is necessary to evaluate the utility of adding genetics in clinical settings.Keywords
Funding Information
- National Institutes of Health (T32 HL007427)
- National Institutes of Health (K08 HL173562)
- National Institutes of Health (R01HL168199)
- National Institutes of Health (R01HL162813)
- National Institutes of Health (R01HL153248)
- National Institutes of Health (R01HL135142)
- Medical Research Council (MR/V00235X/1)
- Medical Research Council (K08HL159318)
- Medical Research Council (R01 HL142992)
- National Institute for Health and Care Research
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