Identification of Key Genes and Pathways Associated with Sex Differences in Osteoarthritis Based on Bioinformatics Analysis

Sex differences have been suggested to play critical roles in the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis (OA), resulting in sex-specific prevalence and incidence. However, their roles in the development of OA remain largely unknown. The aim of this study was to screen out key genes and pathways mediating biological differences between OA females after menopause and OA males. First, the gene expression data of GSE36700 and GSE55457 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between sexes were identified using R software, respectively. The overlapping DEGs were obtained. Then, protein-protein interactive (PPI) network was constructed to further analyze interactions between the overlapping DEGs. Finally, enrichment analyses were separately performed using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes tools. In our results, a total of 278 overlapping DEGs were identified between OA females after menopause and OA males, including 219 upregulated and 59 downregulated genes. In the PPI network, seven hub genes were identified, including EGF, ERBB2, CDC42, PIK3R2, LCK, CBL, and STAT1. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these genes were mainly enriched in PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, osteoclast differentiation, and focal adhesion. In conclusion, the results in the current study suggest that pathways of PI3K-Akt, osteoclast differentiation, and focal adhesion may play important roles in the development of OA females after menopause. EGFR, ERBB2, CDC42, and STAT1 may be key genes related to OA progression in postmenopausal women and may be promising therapeutic targets for OA.

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Identification of novel potential biomarkers in hepatocarcinoma cancer; a transcriptome analysis

10.21203/rs.3.rs-154350/v3 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mohib kakar ◽

Muhammad Mehboob ◽

Muhammad Akram ◽

Imran Iqbal ◽

Hafza Ijaz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Cancer Progression ◽

Predictive Biomarkers ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Functional Enrichment Analysis ◽

Gene Expression Omnibus ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Molecular Therapy ◽

Hub Genes ◽

Healthy Control

Abstract Objective The goal of this study was to understand possible core genes associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) pathogenesis and prognosis. Methods GEO contains datasets of gene expression, miRNA and methylation patterns of diseased and healthy/control patients. GSE62232 Dataset was selected by employing the server Gene Expression Omnibus. A total of 91 samples were collected, including 81 HCC samples and 10 healthy samples as control. GSE62232 was analyzed through GEO2R, and Functional Enrichment Analysis was performed to extract rational information from a set of DEGs. The Protein-Protein Relationship Networking search method has been used for extracting genes interacting. MCC method was used to calculate the top 10 genes according to their importance. Hub genes in the network were analyzed using GEPIA to estimate the effect of their differential expression on cancer progression. Results We identified the top 10 hub genes through Cytohubba plugin. These genes include Cell Cycle Regulatory Cyclins and Cyclin-dependent proteins CCNA2, CCNB1 and CDK1. The pathogenesis and prognosis of HCC may be directly linked with the aforementioned genes. Conclusion In this analysis, we found critical genes for HCC that showed recommendations for more diagnostic and predictive biomarkers studies that could promote selective molecular therapy for HCC.

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Identification of Novel Potential Biomarkers in Hepatocarcinoma Cancer; A Transcriptome Analysis

10.21203/rs.3.rs-154350/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mohib kakar ◽

Muhammad Mehboob ◽

Muhammad Akram ◽

Imran Iqbal ◽

Hafza Ijaz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Cancer Progression ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Functional Enrichment Analysis ◽

Predictive Biomarker ◽

Gene Expression Omnibus ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Molecular Therapy ◽

Hub Genes ◽

Healthy Control

Abstract The goal of this study was to understand possible core genes associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) pathogenesis and prognosis. Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) contains datasets of gene expression, miRNA and methylation patterns of diseased and healthy/control patients. GSE62232 Dataset was selected by employing the server GEO. A total of 91 samples were collected, including 81 HCC samples and 10 healthy samples as control. GSE62232 was analyzed through GEO2R, and functional enrichment analysis was performed to extract rational information from a set of DEGs. The protein-protein relationship networking search method was used for extracting interacting genes. MCC method was used to calculate the top 10 genes according to their importance. Hub genes in the network were analyzed using GEPIA to estimate the effect of their differential expression on cancer progression. We identified the top 10 hub genes through Cytohubba plugin. These genes include cell cycle regulatory cyclins and cyclin-dependent proteins CCNA2, CCNB1 and CDK1. The pathogenesis and prognosis of HCC may be directly linked with the aforementioned genes. In this analysis, we found critical genes for HCC that showed recommendations for more diagnostic and predictive biomarker studies that could promote selective molecular therapy for HCC.

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Identification of Key Genes Affecting the Tumor Microenvironment and Prognosis of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Frontiers in Oncology ◽

10.3389/fonc.2021.746058 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Jiarong Yi ◽

Wenjing Zhong ◽

Haoming Wu ◽

Jikun Feng ◽

Xiazi Zouxu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Tumor Microenvironment ◽

Triple Negative Breast Cancer ◽

Triple Negative ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Functional Enrichment Analysis ◽

The Cancer Genome Atlas ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Ppi Network ◽

Key Genes

Although the tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an important role in the development of many cancers, its roles in breast cancer, especially triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), are not well studied. This study aimed to identify genes related to the TME and prognosis of TNBC. Firstly, we identified differentially expressed genes (DEG) in the TME of TNBC, using Expression data (ESTIMATE) datasets obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Estimation of Stromal and Immune cells in Malignant Tumor tissues. Next, survival analysis was performed to analyze the relationship between TME and prognosis of TNBC, as well as determine DEGs. Genes showing significant differences were scored as alternative genes. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed and functional enrichment analysis conducted using the DEG. Proteins with a degree greater than 5 and 10 in the PPI network correspond with hub genes and key genes, respectively. Finally, CCR2 and CCR5 were identified as key genes in TME and prognosis of TNBC. Finally, these results were verified using Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets and immunohistochemistry of TNBC patients. In conclusion, CCR2 and CCR5 are key genes in the TME and prognosis of TNBC with the potential of prognostic biomarkers in TNBC.

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Role of COL3A1 and POSTN on Pathologic Stages of Esophageal Cancer

Technology in Cancer Research & Treatment ◽

10.1177/1533033820977489 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 ◽

pp. 153303382097748

Author(s):

Shao-wei Zhang ◽

Nan Zhang ◽

Na Wang

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Esophageal Cancer ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Functional Enrichment Analysis ◽

Gene Expression Omnibus ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Protein Protein Interaction ◽

And Control ◽

The Impact

Background: Esophageal cancer (EC) is a primary malignant tumor originating from the esophageal of the epithelium. Surgical resection is a potential treatment for EC, but this is only appropriate for patients who have locally resectable lesions suitable for surgery. However, most patients with EC are at a late stage when diagnosed. Therefore, there is an urgent need to further explore the pathogenesis of EC to enable early diagnosis and treatment. Methods: Our study downloaded 2 expression spectrum datasets (GSE92396 and GSE100942) in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. GEO2 R was used to identify the Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the samples of EC and control. Using the DAVID tool to make the Functional enrichment analysis. Constructing A protein–protein interaction (PPI) network. Identifying the Hub genes. The impact of hub gene expression on overall survival and their expression based on immunohistochemistry were analyzed. Associated microRNAs were also predicted. Results: There were 36 common DEGs identified. The analysis of GO and KEGG results shown that the variations were predominantly concentrated in the extracellular matrix (ECM), ECM organization, DNA binding, platelet activation, and ECM-receptor interactions. COL3A1 and POSTN had high expression in EC tissues which was compared with their expression in healthy tissues. Analysis of pathologic stages showed that when COL3A1 and POSTN were highly expressed, the stage of the pathologic of EC patients was relatively high (P < 0.005). Conclusions: COL3A1 and POSTN may play an important role in the advancement and occurrence of EC. These genes could provide some novel ideas and basis for the diagnosis and targeted treatment of EC.

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Analysis of Serum miRNAs in Alzheimer’s Disease

American Journal of Alzheimer s Disease & Other Dementias® ◽

10.1177/15333175211021712 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 36 ◽

pp. 153331752110217

Author(s):

Liu Lu ◽

Wen-Zhuo Dai ◽

Xi-Chen Zhu ◽

Tao Ma

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Target Genes ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Gene Interaction ◽

Functional Enrichment Analysis ◽

Gene Expression Omnibus ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Differentially Expressed ◽

Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽

Regulatory Relationship

This paper was aimed to analyze the microRNA (miRNA) signatures in Alzheimer disease (AD) and find the significant expressions of miRNAs, their target genes, the functional enrichment analysis of the confirmed genes, and potential drug treatment. The miRNA expression information of the gene expression profile data was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The total data sample size is 1309, including 1021 AD samples and 288 normal samples. A total of 21 differentially expressed miRNAs were obtained, of which 16 (hsa-miR-6761-3p, hsa-miR-6747-3p, hsa-miR-6875-3p, hsa-miR-6754-3p, hsa-miR-6736-3p, hsa-miR-6762-3p, hsa-miR-6787-3p, hsa-miR-208a-5p, hsa-miR-6740-3p, hsa-miR-6778-3p, hsa-miR-595, hsa-miR-6753-3p, hsa-miR-4747-3p, hsa-miR-3646, hsa-miR-6716-3p and hsa-miR-4435) were up-regulated and 5 (hsa-miR-125a-3p, hsa-miR-22-3p, hsa-miR-24-3p, hsa-miR-6131 and hsa-miR-125b-1-3p) were down-regulated in AD. A total of 6 miRNAs (hsa-miR-595, hsa-miR-3646, hsa-miR-4435 hsa-miR-125a-3p, hsa-miR-22-3p and hsa-miR-24-3p) and 78 miRNA-disease-related gene sub-networks were predicted, and 116 ceRNA regulatory relationship pairs, and the ceRNA regulatory network were obtained. The results of enrichment analysis suggested that the main target pathways of several miRNAs differentially expressed in AD were mitogen-activated protein kinase signal pathway. According to the prediction results of Drug-Gene Interaction database 2.0, we obtained 53 pairs of drug-gene interaction, including 7 genes (PTGS2, EGFR, CALM1, PDE4D, FGFR2, HMGCR, cdk6) and 53 drugs. We hope our results are helpful to find a viable way to prevent, delay the onset, diagnose, and treat AD.

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Identification of MEG8-miR378d-SOBP Axis as a Novel Regulatory Network and Associated With Immune Infiltrates in Ovarian Carcinoma by Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis

10.21203/rs.3.rs-76980/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jian Lei ◽

Zhen-Yu He ◽

Jun Wang ◽

Min Hu ◽

Ping Zhou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Ovarian Cancer ◽

Bioinformatics Analysis ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Functional Enrichment Analysis ◽

Gene Expression Omnibus ◽

Gene Set Enrichment Analysis ◽

The Cancer Genome Atlas ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Human Protein Atlas

Abstract BackgroundTo investigate the potential molecular mechanism of ovarian cancer (OC) evolution and immunological correlation using the integrated bioinformatics analysis.MethodsData from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) was used to gain differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG) pathway analysis were completed by utilizing the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID). After multiple validation via The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis 2 (GEPIA 2), the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) and Kaplan-Meier (KM) plotter, immune logical relationships of the key gene SOBP were evaluated based on Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) software. Finally, the lncRNAs-miRNAs-mRNAs sub-network was predicted by starBase, Targetscan, miRBD, and LncBase, individually. Correlation of expression and prognosis for mRNAs, miRNAs and lncRNAs were confirmed by TCGA, GEPIA 2, starBase, and KM.ResultsA total of 192 shared DEGs were discovered from the four data sets, including 125 upregulated and 67 downregulated genes. Functional enrichment analysis presented that they were mainly enriched in cartilage development, pathway in PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Lower expression of SOBP was the independent prognostic factor for inferior prognosis in OC patients. Intriguingly, downregulated SOBP enhanced the infiltration levels of B cells, CD8+ T cells, Macrophage, Neutrophil and Dendritic cells. GSEA also disclosed low SOBP showed significantly association with the activation of various immune-related pathways. Finally, we firstly reported that MEG8-miR378d-SOBP axis was linked to development and prognosis of ovarian cancer through regulating cytokines pathway.Conclusions Our study establishes a novel MEG8-miR378d-SOBP axis in the development and prognosis of OC, and the triple sub-network probably affects the progression of ovarian tumor by regulating cytokines pathway.

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Bioinformatics Analysis of Gene Expression Profiles of Sex Differences in Ischemic Stroke

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2019/2478453 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Wenhao Zhu ◽

Yinan Nan ◽

Shaoqing Wang ◽

Wei Liu

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Immune Response ◽

Sex Differences ◽

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Biological Processes ◽

Receptor Signaling ◽

Ppi Network ◽

Apoptotic Process ◽

Key Genes

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a complex disease with sex differences in epidemiology, presentations, and outcomes. However, the sex-specific mechanism underlying IS remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to identify key genes contributing to biological differences between sexes. First, we downloaded the gene expression data of GSE22255 from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using R software and related packages. Second, DEGs were separately analyzed by Gene Ontology enrichment and pathways analyses. Third, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to further investigate the interactions of DEGs. A total of 123 DEGs were identified between sexes, including 8 upregulated and 115 downregulated genes. In the PPI network, ten key genes were identified, including IL1α, IL1β, IL6, IL8, CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL20, CCL4, ICAM1, and PTGS2. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these genes were mainly enriched in biological processes of immune response and apoptotic process, also in pathways of TNF and NOD-like receptor signaling. In conclusion, the above ten genes may have a protective effect on IS females through their direct or indirect involvement in biological processes of immune response and apoptotic process, as well as in TNF and NOD-like receptor signaling pathways. The results of this study may help to gain new insights into the sex-specific mechanisms underlying IS females and may suggest potential therapeutic targets for disease treatment.

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Identification and Validation of Immune-Related Prognostic Genes in the Tumor Microenvironment of Colon Adenocarcinoma

Frontiers in Genetics ◽

10.3389/fgene.2021.778153 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Shenghua Pan ◽

Tingting Tang ◽

Yanke Wu ◽

Liang Zhang ◽

Zekai Song ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Network Analysis ◽

Tumor Microenvironment ◽

Signaling Pathway ◽

Colon Adenocarcinoma ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Functional Enrichment Analysis ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Ppi Network ◽

Kaplan Meier

The tumor microenvironment (TME) has been shown to be involved in angiogenesis, tumor metastasis, and immune response, thereby affecting the treatment and prognosis of patients. This study aims to identify genes that are dysregulated in the TME of patients with colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) and to evaluate their prognostic value based on RNA omics data. We obtained 512 COAD samples from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and 579 COAD patients from the independent dataset (GSE39582) in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The immune/stromal/ESTIMATE score of each patient based on their gene expression was calculated using the ESTIMATE algorithm. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, Cox regression analysis, gene functional enrichment analysis, and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis were performed. We found that immune and stromal scores were significantly correlated with COAD patients’ overall survival (log rank p < 0.05). By comparing the high immune/stromal score group with the low score group, we identified 688 intersection differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from the TCGA dataset (663 upregulated and 25 downregulated). The functional enrichment analysis of intersection DEGs showed that they were mainly enriched in the immune process, cell migration, cell motility, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. The hub genes were revealed by PPI network analysis. Through Kaplan–Meier and Cox analysis, four TME-related genes that were significantly related to the prognosis of COAD patients were verified in GSE39582. In addition, we uncovered the relationship between the four prognostic genes and immune cells in COAD. In conclusion, based on the RNA expression profiles of 1091 COAD patients, we screened four genes that can predict prognosis from the TME, which may serve as candidate prognostic biomarkers for COAD.

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Expression profile analysis to predict potential biomarkers for glaucoma: BMP1, DMD and GEM

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.9462 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. e9462

Author(s):

Dao wei Zhang ◽

Shenghai Zhang ◽

Jihong Wu

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Optic Nerve ◽

Optic Nerve Head ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Functional Enrichment Analysis ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Lasso Regression ◽

Hub Genes ◽

Gene Modules ◽

Key Genes

Purpose Glaucoma is the second commonest cause of blindness. We assessed the gene expression profile of astrocytes in the optic nerve head to identify possible prognostic biomarkers for glaucoma. Method A total of 20 patient and nine normal control subject samples were derived from the GSE9944 (six normal samples and 13 patient samples) and GSE2378 (three normal samples and seven patient samples) datasets, screened by microarray-tested optic nerve head tissues, were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. We used a weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) to identify coexpressed gene modules. We also performed a functional enrichment analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis. Genes expression was represented by boxplots, functional geneset enrichment analyses (GSEA) were used to profile the expression patterns of all the key genes. Then the key genes were validated by the external dataset. Results A total 8,606 genes and 19 human optic nerve head samples taken from glaucoma patients in the GSE9944 were compared with normal control samples to construct the co-expression gene modules. After selecting the most common clinical traits of glaucoma, their association with gene expression was established, which sorted two modules showing greatest correlations. One with the correlation coefficient is 0.56 (P = 0.01) and the other with the correlation coefficient is −0.56 (P = 0.01). Hub genes of these modules were identified using scatterplots of gene significance versus module membership. A functional enrichment analysis showed that the former module was mainly enriched in genes involved in cellular inflammation and injury, whereas the latter was mainly enriched in genes involved in tissue homeostasis and physiological processes. This suggests that genes in the green–yellow module may play critical roles in the onset and development of glaucoma. A LASSO regression analysis identified three hub genes: Recombinant Bone Morphogenetic Protein 1 gene (BMP1), Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene (DMD) and mitogens induced GTP-binding protein gene (GEM). The expression levels of the three genes in the glaucoma group were significantly lower than those in the normal group. GSEA further illuminated that BMP1, DMD and GEM participated in the occurrence and development of some important metabolic progresses. Using the GSE2378 dataset, we confirmed the high validity of the model, with an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of 85%. Conclusion We identified several key genes, including BMP1, DMD and GEM, that may be involved in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. Our results may help to determine the prognosis of glaucoma and/or to design gene- or molecule-targeted drugs.

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Inflammation as a risk factor for stroke in atrial fibrillation: data from a microarray data analysis

Journal of International Medical Research ◽

10.1177/0300060520921671 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 48 (5) ◽

pp. 030006052092167

Author(s):

Yingyuan Li ◽

Wulin Tan ◽

Fang Ye ◽

Shihong Wen ◽

Rong Hu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Microarray Data ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Functional Enrichment Analysis ◽

Gene Expression Omnibus ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Microarray Data Analysis ◽

Protein Protein Interaction ◽

Inflammatory Processes ◽

Key Genes

Objective Stroke is a severe complication of atrial fibrillation (AF). We aimed to discover key genes and microRNAs related to stroke risk in patients with AF using bioinformatics analysis. Methods GSE66724 microarray data, including peripheral blood samples from eight patients with AF and stroke and eight patients with AF without stroke, were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between AF patients with and without stroke were identified using the GEO2R online tool. Functional enrichment analysis was performed using the DAVID database. A protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was obtained using the STRING database. MicroRNAs (miRs) targeting these DEGs were obtained from the miRNet database. A miR–DEG network was constructed using Cytoscape software. Results We identified 165 DEGs (141 upregulated and 24 downregulated). Enrichment analysis showed enrichment of certain inflammatory processes. The miR–DEG network revealed key genes, including MEF2A, CAND1, PELI1, and PDCD4, and microRNAs, including miR-1, miR-1-3p, miR-21, miR-21-5p, miR-192, miR-192-5p, miR-155, and miR-155-5p. Conclusion Dysregulation of certain genes and microRNAs involved in inflammation may be associated with a higher risk of stroke in patients with AF. Evaluating these biomarkers could improve prediction, prevention, and treatment of stroke in patients with AF.

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