Exploring the comorbidity mechanisms between atherosclerosis and hashimoto's thyroiditis based on microarray and...

Area of Science:

• Immunology and Genetics
• Vascular Biology
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Atherosclerosis (AS) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) share risk factors but lack clear pathogenic links.
• Understanding shared mechanisms is crucial for managing these chronic inflammatory conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and pathogenic mechanisms between AS and HT.
• To discover shared diagnostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for AS and HT.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Limma and Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) on Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets for AS and HT.
• Performed Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) for functional and pathway enrichment.
• Employed Cytoscape for core gene identification, CIBERSORT for immune infiltration analysis, and single-cell analysis for marker discovery.

Main Results:

• Identified 119 common candidate genes, significantly enriched in antigen processing, presentation, and immune-inflammatory pathways.
• Pinpointed PTPRC and TYROBP as pivotal genes with substantial diagnostic value for AS and HT, validated by external datasets.
• Immune infiltration analysis revealed associations with lymphocytes and macrophages; single-cell analysis showed expression in macrophages, monocytes, T cells, and CMPs.

Conclusions:

• Aberrant immune responses likely represent a shared pathogenic mechanism in AS and HT.
• PTPRC and TYROBP are proposed as critical biomarkers and therapeutic targets for these comorbid diseases.
• Identified core genes and their immune cell interactions offer potential for future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.