Gene Correlation Network Analysis To Identify Regulatory Factors In Sciatic Nerve Injury

Abstract Background: Sciatic nerve injury (SNI), which frequently occurs under the traumatic hip and hip fracture dislocation, induces serious complications such as motor and sensory loss, muscle atrophy, or even disabling. The present work aimed to determine the regulating factors and gene network related to the SNI pathology.Methods: Sciatic nerve injury dataset GSE18803 with 24 samples was randomly divided into adult group and neonate group. We performed weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to identify modules associated with SNI in the two groups. Moreover, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were determined from every group, separately. Subsequently, co-expression network, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, enrichment analysis and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were integrated to identify hub genes and associated pathways. GSE30165 was used as the test set for investigating the hub gene involvement within SNI. Finally, we employed DGIdb for predicting the possible therapeutic agents leading to the abnormal up-regulation of hub genes.Results: 14 SNI status modules and 97 DEGs were identified in adult group, while 15 modules and 21 DEGs in neonate group. A total of 12 hub genes was overlapping from co-expression and PPI network. After the results from both test and training sets were overlapped, we verified that the ten real hub genes showed remarkably up-regulation within SNI. According to functional enrichment of DEGs, the above genes participated in the immune effector process, inflammatory responses, the antigen processing and presentation, and the phagocytosis. GSEA also supported that gene sets with the highest significance was mostly related to the cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction.Conclusions: The gene expression network is determined in the present work based on the related regulating factors within SNI, which sheds more lights on SNI pathology and offers the possible biomarkers and therapeutic targets in subsequent research.

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Gene correlation network analysis to identify regulatory factors in sciatic nerve injury

Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research ◽

10.1186/s13018-021-02756-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Liuxun Li ◽

Xiaokang Du ◽

Haiqian Ling ◽

Yuhang Li ◽

Xuemin Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Network Analysis ◽

Sciatic Nerve ◽

Signaling Pathway ◽

Nerve Injury ◽

Sciatic Nerve Injury ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Ppi Network ◽

Adult Group ◽

Hub Genes

Abstract Background Sciatic nerve injury (SNI), which frequently occurs under the traumatic hip and hip fracture dislocation, induces serious complications such as motor and sensory loss, muscle atrophy, or even disabling. The present work aimed to determine the regulating factors and gene network related to the SNI pathology. Methods Sciatic nerve injury dataset GSE18803 with 24 samples was divided into adult group and neonate group. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was carried out to identify modules associated with SNI in the two groups. Moreover, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were determined from every group, separately. Subsequently, co-expression network and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network were overlapped to identify hub genes, while functional enrichment and Reactome analysis were used for a comprehensive analysis of potential pathways. GSE30165 was used as the test set for investigating the hub gene involvement within SNI. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed separately using difference between samples and gene expression level as phenotype label to further prove SNI-related signaling pathways. In addition, immune infiltration analysis was accomplished by CIBERSORT. Finally, Drug–Gene Interaction database (DGIdb) was employed for predicting the possible therapeutic agents. Results 14 SNI status modules and 97 DEGs were identified in adult group, while 15 modules and 21 DEGs in neonate group. A total of 12 hub genes was overlapping from co-expression and PPI network. After the results from both test and training sets were overlapped, we verified that the ten real hub genes showed remarkably up-regulation within SNI. According to functional enrichment of hub genes, the above genes participated in the immune effector process, inflammatory responses, the antigen processing and presentation, and the phagocytosis. GSEA also supported that gene sets with the highest significance were mostly related to the cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction. Analysis of hub genes possible related signaling pathways using gene expression level as phenotype label revealed an enrichment involved in Lysosome, Chemokine signaling pathway, and Neurotrophin signaling pathway. Immune infiltration analysis showed that Macrophages M2 and Regulatory T cells may participate in the development of SNI. At last, 25 drugs were screened from DGIdb to improve SNI treatment. Conclusions The gene expression network is determined in the present work based on the related regulating factors within SNI, which sheds more light on SNI pathology and offers the possible biomarkers and therapeutic targets in subsequent research.

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Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis and Treatment Strategies of Tumor Recurrence-Associated Hub Genes in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Frontiers in Genetics ◽

10.3389/fgene.2021.756235 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Zhengze Shen ◽

Shengwei Liu ◽

Jie Liu ◽

Jingdong Liu ◽

Caoyuan Yao

Keyword(s):

Network Analysis ◽

Lung Adenocarcinoma ◽

Tumor Recurrence ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Gene Set Enrichment Analysis ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Hub Genes ◽

Gene Interaction Network ◽

Tissue Samples ◽

Hub Gene

Despite the recent progress of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) therapy, tumor recurrence remained to be a challenging factor that impedes the effectiveness of treatment. The objective of the present study was to predict the hub genes affecting LUAD recurrence via weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Microarray samples from LUAD dataset of GSE32863 were analyzed, and the modules with the highest correlation to tumor recurrence were selected. Functional enrichment analysis was conducted, followed by establishment of a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network. Subsequently, hub genes were identified by overall survival analyses and further validated by evaluation of expression in both myeloid populations and tissue samples of LUAD. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was then carried out, and construction of transcription factors (TF)–hub gene and drug–hub gene interaction network was also achieved. A total of eight hub genes (ACTR3, ARPC5, RAB13, HNRNPK, PA2G4, WDR12, SRSF1, and NOP58) were finally identified to be closely correlated with LUAD recurrence. In addition, TFs that regulate hub genes have been predicted, including MYC, PML, and YY1. Finally, drugs including arsenic trioxide, cisplatin, Jinfukang, and sunitinib were mined for the treatment of the eight hub genes. In conclusion, our study may facilitate the invention of targeted therapeutic drugs and shed light on the understanding of the mechanism for LUAD recurrence.

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Comprehensive Analysis to Identify Key Genes Involved in Advanced Atherosclerosis

Disease Markers ◽

10.1155/2021/4026604 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-25

Author(s):

Tian-ming Huo ◽

Zhi-wei Wang

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Network Analysis ◽

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Inflammatory Responses ◽

Therapeutic Targets ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Gene Set Enrichment Analysis ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Hub Genes ◽

Key Genes

Background. The study was aimed at finding accurate and effective therapeutic targets and deepening our understanding of the mechanisms of advanced atherosclerosis (AA). Methods. We downloaded the gene expression datasets GSE28829, GSE120521, and GSE43292 from Gene Expression Omnibus. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed for GSE28829, and functional enrichment analysis and protein–protein interaction network analysis were conducted on the key module. Significant genes in the key module were analyzed by molecular complex detection, and genes in the most important subnetwork were defined as hub genes. Multiple dataset analyses for hub genes were conducted. Genes that overlapped between hub genes and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of GSE28829 and GSE120521 were defined as key genes. Further validation for key genes was performed using GSE28829 and GSE43292. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was applied to key genes. Results. A total of 77 significant genes in the key module of GSE28829 were screened out that were mainly associated with inflammation and immunity. The subnetwork was obtained from significant genes, and 18 genes in this module were defined as hub genes, which were related to immunity and expressed in multiple diseases, particularly systemic lupus erythematosus. Some hub genes were regulated by SPI1 and associated with the blood, spleen, and lung. After overlapping with DEGs of GSE28829 and GSE120521, a total of 10 genes (HCK, ITGAM, CTSS, TYROBP, LAPTM5, FCER1G, ITGB2, NCF2, AIF1, and CD86) were identified as key genes. All key genes were validated and evaluated successfully and were related to immune response pathways. Conclusion. Our study suggests that the key genes related to immune and inflammatory responses are involved in the development of AA. This may deepen our understanding of the mechanisms of and provide valuable therapeutic targets for AA.

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Identification of Key Modules and Hub Genes in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Based on Integrative Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis

10.21203/rs.3.rs-915958/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jun Jiang ◽

Delong Chen ◽

Siyuan Xie ◽

Qichao Dong ◽

Yi Yu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Network Analysis ◽

Hedgehog Signaling ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Functional Enrichment Analysis ◽

Gene Set Enrichment Analysis ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Receptor Interaction ◽

Hub Genes ◽

Remodeling Of Extracellular Matrix

Abstract BackgroundHypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a heterogeneously inherited cardiac disorder with unclear biological pathogenesis. This study aims to identify the key modules and genes involved in the development of HCM.MethodsUsing weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) algorithm, we constructed integrative co-expression networks for the two large sample HCM datasets separately. After selecting clinically significant modules with the same clinical trait, functional enrichment analysis was performed to detect their common pathways. Based on the intramodular connectivity (IC), the shared hub genes were generated, validated, and further explored in gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA).ResultsThe orange and pink modules in GSE141910, the green and brown modules in GSE36961 were mostly related to HCM. Functional enrichment analysis suggested that HCM might exhibit enhanced processes including remodeling of extracellular matrix, activation of abnormal protein signaling, aggregation of calcium ion, and organization of cytoskeleton. SMOC2, COL16A1, RASL11B, TUBA3D, IL18R1 were defined as real hub genes due to their top IC values, significantly different expression levels, and excellent diagnostic performance in both datasets. Moreover, GSEA analysis demonstrated that pathways of the five hub genes were mainly involved in neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, ECM-receptor interaction, Hedgehog signaling pathway.ConclusionOur study provides more comprehensive insights into the molecular mechanisms of HCM, identifies five hub genes as candidate biomarkers for HCM, which might be theoretically feasible for targeted therapy against HCM.

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Construction of Gene Modules and Analysis of Prognostic Biomarkers for Cervical Cancer by Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis

Frontiers in Oncology ◽

10.3389/fonc.2021.542063 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Jiamei Liu ◽

Shengye Liu ◽

Xianghong Yang

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Cervical Cancer ◽

Network Analysis ◽

Cancer Progression ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Functional Enrichment Analysis ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Ppi Network ◽

Hub Genes ◽

Gene Modules

BackgroundDespite advances in the understanding of neoplasm, patients with cervical cancer still have a poor prognosis. Identifying prognostic markers of cervical cancer may enable early detection of recurrence and more effective treatment.MethodsGene expression profiling data were acquired from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. After data normalization, genes with large variation were screened out. Next, we built co-expression modules by using weighted gene co-expression network analysis to investigate the relationship between the modules and clinical traits related to cervical cancer progression. Functional enrichment analysis was also applied on these co-expressed genes. We integrated the genes into a human protein-protein interaction (PPI) network to expand seed genes and build a co-expression network. For further analysis of the dataset, the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was used to identify seed genes and their correlation to cervical cancer prognosis. Verification was further conducted by qPCR and the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database to measure the expression of hub genes.ResultsUsing WGCNA, we identified 25 co-expression modules from 10,016 genes in 128 human cervical cancer samples. After functional enrichment analysis, the magenta, brown, and darkred modules were selected as the three most correlated modules for cancer progression. Additionally, seed genes in the three modules were combined with a PPI network to identify 31 tumor-specific genes. Hierarchical clustering and Gepia results indicated that the expression quantity of hub genes NDC80, TIPIN, MCM3, MCM6, POLA1, and PRC1 may determine the prognosis of cervical cancer. Finally, TIPIN and POLA1 were further filtered by a LASSO model. In addition, their expression was identified by immunohistochemistry in HPA database as well as a biological experiment.ConclusionOur research provides a co-expression network of gene modules and identifies TIPIN and POLA1 as stable potential prognostic biomarkers for cervical cancer.

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Identification of Four Key Biomarkers and Small Molecule Drugs Innasopharyngeal Carcinoma by Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis

10.21203/rs.3.rs-49643/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Xi Pan ◽

Jian-Hao Liu

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Network Analysis ◽

Small Molecule ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Tumor Stage ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Hub Genes ◽

Therapeutic Goals ◽

Small Molecule Drugs

Abstract Background Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a heterogeneous carcinoma that the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in the tumor initiation, progression, and migration are largely unclear. The purpose of the present study was to identify key biomarkers and small-molecule drugs for NPC screening, diagnosis, and therapy via gene expression profile analysis. Methods Raw microarray data of NPC were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and analyzed to screen out the potential differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The key modules associated with histology grade and tumor stage was identified by using weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA). Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses of genes in the key module were performed to identify potential mechanisms. Candidate hub genes were obtained, which based on the criteria of module membership (MM) and high connectivity. Then we used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to evaluate the diagnostic value of hub genes. The Connectivity map database was further used to screen out small-molecule drugs of hub genes. Results A total of 430 DEGs were identified based on two GEO datasets. The green gene module was considered as key module for the tumor stage of NPC via WGCNA analysis. The results of functional enrichment analysis revealed that genes in the green module were enriched in regulation of cell cycle, p53 signaling pathway, cell part morphogenesis. Furthermore, four DEGs-related hub genes in the green module were considered as the final hub genes. Then ROC revealed that the final four hub genes presented with high areas under the curve, suggesting these hub genes may be diagnostic biomarkers for NPC. Meanwhile, we screened out several small-molecule drugs that have provided potentially therapeutic goals for NPC. Conclusions Our research identified four potential prognostic biomarkers and several candidate small-molecule drugs for NPC, which may contribute to the new insights for NPC therapy.

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Xiaoyu Xiezhuo Drink Protects against Ischemia-Reperfusion Acute Kidney Injury in Aged Mice through Inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smad3 and HIF1 Signaling Pathways

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2021/9963732 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-19

Author(s):

Qingqing Ye ◽

Hongbo Chen ◽

Hongzhen Ma ◽

Xiaojun Xiang ◽

Shouci Hu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drug Targets ◽

Ischemia Reperfusion ◽

Kidney Injury ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Functional Enrichment Analysis ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Ppi Network ◽

Hub Genes ◽

Aged Mice ◽

Tgf Β1

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is responsible for significant mortality among hospitalized patients that is especially troubling aged people. An effective self-made Chinese medicine formula, Xiaoyu Xiezhuo Drink (XXD), displayed therapeutic effects on AKI. However, the compositions and underlying mechanisms of XXD remain to be elucidated. In this study, we used the ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography method coupled with hybrid triple quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) to investigate the chemical components in XXD. Then, the absorbable components of XXD were identified based on the five principles and inputted into the SwissTargetPrediction and STITCH databases to identify the drug targets. AKI-related targets were collected from the GenCLiP 3, GeneCards, and DisGeNET databases. The crossover genes of XXD and AKI were identified for functional enrichment analysis. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of crossover genes was constructed, followed by the identification of hub genes. Subsequently, the effects and potential mechanisms of XXD on AKI predicted by the network pharmacology and bioinformatics analyses were experimentally validated in ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury-induced AKI aged mouse models. A total of 122 components in XXD were obtained; among them, 58 components were found that could be absorbed in the blood. There were 800 potential drug targets predicted from the 58 absorbable components in AKI which shared 36 crossover genes with AKI-related targets. The results of functional enrichment analysis indicated that crossover genes mostly associated with the response to oxidative stress and the HIF1 signaling pathway. In the PPI network analysis, 12 hub genes were identified, including ALB, IL-6, TNF, TP53, VEGFA, PTGS2, TLR4, NOS3, EGFR, PPARG, HIF1A, and HMOX1. In AKI aged mice, XXD prominently alleviated I/R injury-induced renal dysfunction, abnormal renal pathological changes, and cellular senescence, inflammation, and oxidative damage with a reduction in the expression level of the inflammatory mediator, α-SMA, collagen-1, F4/80, TP53, VEGFA, PTGS2, TLR4, NOS3, EGFR, PPARG, HIF1A, ICAM-1, TGF-β1, Smad3, and p-Smad3 and an increase of nephridial tissue p-H3, Ki67, HMOX1, MMP-9, and Smad7 levels. In summary, our findings suggest that XXD has renoprotective effects against AKI in aged mice via inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smad3 and HIF1 signaling pathways.

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Using Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis to Identify Key Genes Related to the Onset of Preeclampsia

10.21203/rs.3.rs-87182/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Xinyang Shen ◽

Zhijian Wang ◽

Zhirui Zeng ◽

Zhenqin Huang ◽

Xiaowei Huang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Diagnostic Value ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Immune Response Gene ◽

Control Group ◽

Ppi Network ◽

Hub Genes ◽

Ontology Term ◽

Gene Data ◽

Core Genes

Abstract Background: Preeclampsia is a form of hypertension in pregnancy, which induced by complicated factors. However, the pathogenesis of the disease is unclear. The present study was aimed to discover the critical biomarkers associated with the occurrence and development of preeclampsia. Methods：Gene data profile GSE75010 was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and used as discovery cohort to establish a WGCNA network determining significant modules which associated with clinical traits. Subsequently, functional enrichment analysis, pathway analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction were performed on the core genes in significant modules to identify hub genes. Then, gene data profile GSE25906 was used as verified cohort to determine their diagnostic value of hub genes. The protein expression levels of these hub genes in preeclampsia and control placental tissues were verified using immunohistochemistry method. Finally, GSEA was performed to analyze their enrichment pathways. Results: Total 33 co-expression modules were identified after the establishment of WGCNA, of which 4 gene modules were identified as significant modules because they were related to multiple (>3) clinical traits. Total 75 core genes in significant modules were analyzed, and results showed that they were mainly enriched in adaptive immune response (Gene Ontology term) and platelet activation (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes term). Finally, a total of 5 genes including TYROBP, PLEK, LCP2, HCK, ITGAM were identified as hub genes which scored high in PPI network and had high diagnostic value. Furthermore, the protein level of these 5 genes in placental tissues of preeclampsia was lower than that of the control group. Moreover, these 5 genes were all enriched in 17 pathways, including autoimmunity pathway. Conclusions：These 5 genes (TYROBP, PLEK, LCP2, HCK, ITGAM) may be closely related to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia, which may also help the diagnosis and therapy of preeclampsia.

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Weighted Gene Correlation Network Analysis Identifies Specific Functional Modules and Genes in Esophageal Cancer

Journal of Oncology ◽

10.1155/2021/8223263 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Wei Xu ◽

Jian Xu ◽

Zhiqiang Wang ◽

Yuequan Jiang

Keyword(s):

Esophageal Cancer ◽

Network Analysis ◽

Cell Cycle Progression ◽

Differential Expression Analysis ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Functional Enrichment Analysis ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Future Research ◽

Hub Genes ◽

Pathological Staging

Objective. Esophageal cancer (ESCA) is one of the most aggressive malignancies globally with an undesirable five-year survival rate. Here, this study was conducted for determining specific functional genes linked with ESCA initiation and progression. Methods. Gene expression profiling of ESCA was curated from TCGA (containing 160 ESCA and 11 nontumor specimens) and GSE38129 (30 paired ESCA and nontumor tissues) datasets. Differential expression analysis was conducted between ESCA and nontumor tissues with adjusted p value <0.05 and |log2fold-change|>1. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was conducted for determining the ESCA-specific coexpression modules and genes. Thereafter, ESCA-specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were intersected. Functional enrichment analysis was then presented with clusterProfiler package. Protein-protein interaction was conducted, and hub genes were determined. Association of hub genes with pathological staging was evaluated, and survival analysis was presented among ESCA patients. Results. This study determined 91 ESCA-specific DEGs following intersection of DEGs and ESCA-specific genes in TCGA and GSE38129 datasets. They were remarkably linked to cell cycle progression and carcinogenic pathways like the p53 signaling pathway, cellular senescence, and apoptosis. Ten ESCA-specific hub genes were determined, containing ASPM, BUB1B, CCNA2, CDC20, CDK1, DLGAP5, KIF11, KIF20 A, TOP2A, and TPX2. They were prominently associated with pathological staging. Among them, KIF11 upregulation was in relation to undesirable prognosis of ESCA patients. Conclusion. Collectively, we determined ESCA-specific coexpression modules and hub genes, which offered the foundation for future research concerning the mechanistic basis of ESCA.

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Construction of Circular RNA–MicroRNA–Messenger RNA Regulatory Network of Recurrent Implantation Failure to Explore Its Potential Pathogenesis

Frontiers in Genetics ◽

10.3389/fgene.2020.627459 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Jiahuan Luo ◽

Li Zhu ◽

Ning Zhou ◽

Yuanyuan Zhang ◽

Lirong Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Messenger Rna ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Differentially Expressed ◽

Implantation Failure ◽

Ppi Network ◽

Recurrent Implantation Failure ◽

Hub Genes ◽

Hub Gene ◽

Gene Regulatory

Background: Many studies on circular RNAs (circRNAs) have recently been published. However, the function of circRNAs in recurrent implantation failure (RIF) is unknown and remains to be explored. This study aims to determine the regulatory mechanisms of circRNAs in RIF.Methods: Microarray data of RIF circRNA (GSE147442), microRNA (miRNA; GSE71332), and messenger RNA (mRNA; GSE103465) were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to identify differentially expressed circRNA, miRNA, and mRNA. The circRNA–miRNA–mRNA network was constructed by Cytoscape 3.8.0 software, then the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed by STRING database, and the hub genes were identified by cytoHubba plug-in. The circRNA–miRNA–hub gene regulatory subnetwork was formed to understand the regulatory axis of hub genes in RIF. Finally, the Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis of the hub genes were performed by clusterProfiler package of Rstudio software, and Reactome Functional Interaction (FI) plug-in was used for reactome analysis to comprehensively analyze the mechanism of hub genes in RIF.Results: A total of eight upregulated differentially expressed circRNAs (DECs), five downregulated DECs, 56 downregulated differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRs), 104 upregulated DEmiRs, 429 upregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and 1,067 downregulated DEGs were identified regarding RIF. The miRNA response elements of 13 DECs were then predicted. Seven overlapping miRNAs were obtained by intersecting the predicted miRNA and DEmiRs. Then, 56 overlapping mRNAs were obtained by intersecting the predicted target mRNAs of seven miRNAs with 1,496 DEGs. The circRNA–miRNA–mRNA network and PPI network were constructed through six circRNAs, seven miRNAs, and 56 mRNAs; and four hub genes (YWHAZ, JAK2, MYH9, and RAP2C) were identified. The circRNA–miRNA–hub gene regulatory subnetwork with nine regulatory axes was formed in RIF. Functional enrichment analysis and reactome analysis showed that these four hub genes were closely related to the biological functions and pathways of RIF.Conclusion: The results of this study provide further understanding of the potential pathogenesis from the perspective of circRNA-related competitive endogenous RNA network in RIF.

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