Integrated Analysis of Multiple Microarray Studies to Identify Novel Gene Signatures in Ulcerative Colitis

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Molecular Biology
• Immunology

Background:

• Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease with rising global incidence.
• The precise molecular mechanisms driving UC pathogenesis remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key molecular players in ulcerative colitis (UC) pathogenesis.
• To elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of UC using bioinformatics and experimental validation.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of UC gene expression datasets from the GEO database.
• Robust Rank Aggregation (RRA) for identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs).
• Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, MCODE, GO, KEGG, CytoHubba, and a DSS-induced mouse model for hub gene validation.

Main Results:

• Six public datasets were analyzed, revealing 208 significant DEGs (132 upregulated, 76 downregulated).
• Six hub genes (LCN2, CXCL1, MMP3, IDO1, MMP1, S100A8) were identified through integrated RRA and PPI network analysis.
• Enrichment analysis linked these genes to cytokine secretion, immune response, and cancer progression; mouse models confirmed higher expression in UC.

Conclusions:

• The identified hub genes are reliable indicators of UC molecular mechanisms.
• These findings enhance the understanding of UC pathogenesis and may offer therapeutic targets.