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Identification of key biomarkers and immune infiltration in the thoracic acute aortic dissection by bioinformatics
Jun Luo1, Haoming Shi2, Haoyu Ran2
1Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No. 1 Youyi Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, China.
Insights
Researchers identified two key genes, SLC11A1 and FGL2, involved in thoracic acute aortic dissection (TAAD). These genes may play a role in the immune-inflammatory responses contributing to this fatal cardiovascular disease.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Genomics
- Immunology
Background:
- Thoracic acute aortic dissection (TAAD) is a highly fatal cardiovascular disease with unclear underlying mechanisms.
- Understanding the genetic and molecular basis of TAAD is crucial for identifying potential diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with TAAD.
- To screen and validate reliable diagnostic markers for TAAD.
- To investigate the role of identified genes in immune-inflammatory responses within TAAD tissues.
Main Methods:
- Utilized three Gene Expression Omnibus datasets to identify DEGs.
- Employed weighted gene co-expression network analysis to identify functional and co-expression networks.
- Applied machine learning algorithms (LASSO, Random Forest, SVM-RFE) for marker screening.
- Validated candidate markers using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and an independent dataset.
- Analyzed immune cell infiltration in TAAD tissues using CIBERSORT.
Main Results:
- Identified 25 DEGs, subsequently narrowed down to three candidate genes.
- Validated SLC11A1 and FGL2 as significantly expressed genes in TAAD through qRT-PCR and an independent dataset.
- Functional analysis indicated that SLC11A1 and FGL2 are significantly involved in immune-inflammatory responses.
Conclusions:
- SLC11A1 and FGL2 are differentially expressed in thoracic acute aortic dissection.
- These genes are potentially implicated in the immune-inflammatory pathways contributing to TAAD pathogenesis.
- Further research into SLC11A1 and FGL2 could lead to novel diagnostic or therapeutic strategies for TAAD.
Background:
Thoracic acute aortic dissection (TAAD), one of the most fatal cardiovascular diseases, leads to sudden death, however, its mechanism remains unclear.
Methods:
Three Gene Expression Omnibus datasets were employed to detect differentially expressed genes (DEGs). A similar function and co-expression network was identified by weighted gene co-expression network analysis. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, random forest, and support vector machines-recursive feature elimination were utilized to filter diagnostic TAAD markers, and then screened markers were validated by quantitative real-time PCR and another independent dataset. CIBERSORT was deployed to analyze and evaluate immune cell infiltration in TAAD tissues.
Results:
Twenty-five DEGs were identified and narrowed down to three after screening. Finally, two genes, SLC11A1 and FGL2, were verified by another dataset and qRT-PCR. Function analysis revealed that SLC11A1 and FGL2 play significant roles in immune-inflammatory responses.
Conclusion:
SLC11A1 and FGL2 are differently expressed in aortic dissection and may be involved in immune-inflammatory responses.
