METABOLOMICS DIFFERENTIAL CORRELATION NETWORK ANALYSIS OF OSTEOARTHRITIS

Osteoarthritis (OA) significantly compromises the life quality of affected individuals and imposes a substantial economic burden on our society. Unfortunately the pathogenesis of the disease is till poorly understood and no effective medications have been developed. OA is a complex disease that involves both genetic and environmental influences. To elucidate the complex interlinked structure of metabolic processes associated with OA, we developed a differential correlation network approach to detecting the interconnection of metabolite pairs whose relationships are significantly altered due to the diseased process. Through topological analysis of such a differential network, we identified key metabolites that played an important role in governing the connectivity and information flow of the network. Identification of these key metabolites suggests the association of their underlying cellular processes with OA and may help elucidate the pathogenesis of the disease and the development of novel targeted therapies.