Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of mRNA expression profiles and identification of a miRNA–mRNA network associated with lupus nephritis
Objective Lupus nephritis (LN) is one of the serious complications of systemic lupus erythematosus. The aim of this study was to identify core genes and pathways involved in the pathogenesis of LN. Methods We screened differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in LN patients using mRNA expression profile data from the Gene Expression Omnibus. The functional and pathway enrichment analysis of DEGs was performed utilizing the Database for annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery. Target genes with differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMIs) were predicted using the miRTarBase database, and the intersection between these target genes and DEGs was selected to be studied further. Results In total, 107 common DEGs (CDEGs) were identified from the Tub_LN group and Glom_LN group, and 66 DEMIs were identified. Fifty-three hub genes and two significant modules were identified from the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network, and a miRNA–mRNA network was constructed. The CDEGs, module genes in the PPI network and genes intersecting with the CDEGs and target genes of DEMIs were all associated with the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway. Conclusion In summary, this study reveals some crucial genes and pathways potentially involving in the pathogenesis of LN. These findings provide a new insight for the research and treatment of LN.