Combining Bioinformatics Techniques to Study the Key Immune-Related Genes in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Approximately 13,000 people die of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) every year. This study aimed to identify the immune response-related genes that play important roles in AAA using bioinformatics approaches. We downloaded the GSE57691 and GSE98278 datasets related to AAA from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, which included 80 AAA and 10 normal vascular samples. CIBERSORT was used to analyze the samples and detect the infiltration of 22 types of immune cells and their differences and correlations. The principal component analysis showed significant differences in the infiltration of immune cells between normal vascular and AAA samples. High proportions of CD4⁺ T cells, activated mast cells, resting natural killer cells, and 12 other types of immune cells were found in normal vascular tissues, whereas high proportions of macrophages, CD8⁺ T cells, resting mast cells, and six other types of immune cells were found in AAA tissues. In the selected samples, we identified 39 upregulated (involved in growth factor activity, hormone receptor binding, and cytokine receptor activity) and 133 downregulated genes (involved in T cell activation, cell chemotaxis, and regulation of immune response mediators). The key differentially expressed immune response-related genes were screened using the STRING database and Cytoscape software. Two downregulated genes, PI3 and MAP2K1, and three upregulated genes, SSTR1, GPER1, and CCR10, were identified by constructing a protein-protein interaction network. Functional enrichment of the differentially expressed genes was analyzed, and the expression of the five key genes in AAA samples was verified using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, which revealed that MAP2K1 was downregulated in AAA, whereas SSTR1, GEPR1, and CCR10 were upregulated; there was no significant difference in PI3 expression. Our study shows that normal vascular and AAA samples can be distinguished via the infiltration of immune cells. Five genes, PI3, MAP2K1, SSTR1, GPER1, and CCR10, may play important roles in the development, diagnosis, and treatment of AAA.