Systemic bioinformatics analysis of recurrent aphthous stomatitis gene expression profiles

Area of Science:

• Oral Medicine
• Bioinformatics
• Immunology

Background:

• Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is a prevalent chronic oral condition affecting 5-25% of populations.
• The underlying pathogenesis of RAS is poorly understood, hindering effective therapeutic development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify potential drug targets for RAS through comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of gene expression profiles.
• To elucidate the molecular mechanisms contributing to RAS pathogenesis.

Main Methods:

• Systematic bioinformatics analysis of gene expression datasets (GSE37265) from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO).
• Identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using limma package.
• Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis via DAVID.
• Construction and module analysis of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks using HPRD, BioGrid, and Cytoscape (MCODE).
• Validation of potential targets (FBXO6, ITGA4, VCAM1) using real-time RT-PCR and Western blot.

Main Results:

• Identified 915 significantly differentially expressed genes in RAS samples compared to controls.
• Enriched biological processes related to immune and inflammatory responses.
• Network and module analysis pinpointed FBXO6, ITGA4, and VCAM1 as promising therapeutic targets.
• FBXO6, ITGA4, and VCAM1 expression levels were validated experimentally.

Conclusions:

• This study provides valuable insights into the molecular basis of RAS, implicating immune and inflammatory pathways.
• FBXO6, ITGA4, and VCAM1 represent potential therapeutic targets for the development of novel treatments for recurrent aphthous stomatitis.