Hub Gene Screening Associated with Early Glaucoma: An Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Genomics
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is the most prevalent form of glaucoma.
• Understanding the molecular mechanisms driving POAG progression is crucial.
• The role of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in POAG pathogenesis requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between gene expression and clinical data in POAG patients.
• To identify DEGs associated with POAG using integrated bioinformatics analysis.
• To explore the potential impact of identified DEGs on POAG progression.

Main Methods:

• Utilized gene expression profile GSE27276 from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database.
• Employed the LIMMA package in R to identify DEGs with adjusted P-value < 0.01 and |log2 fold change| > 1.
• Performed Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses, alongside constructing protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks.

Main Results:

• Identified 182 DEGs, with 119 upregulated and 63 downregulated.
• GO analysis revealed enrichment in haptoglobin binding, antioxidant activity, and organic acid binding.
• KEGG analysis highlighted enrichment in Staphylococcus aureus infection pathways; key modules identified BCL11A and IL1RN.

Conclusions:

• The identified DEGs show potential influence on POAG progression.
• This comprehensive bioinformatics analysis provides insights into POAG pathogenesis.
• Findings may aid in the future discovery of molecular mechanisms and biomarkers for POAG.