Bioinformatics analysis of differentially expressed genes in hyperplastic scars using microarray data

Using DNA microarray technology, we compared the differences in mRNA expression profiles between human hypertrophic scars (HTS) and normal skin tissues. Analyzing the differential genes in bioinformatics, to explore the pathogenesis of HTS at the molecular level, and to provide new targets for clinical treatment of HTS.

Three HTS samples and their adjacent normal skin samples were collected. The extraction of total RNA was performed for cDNA microarray analysis. The screening of differentially expressed genes was carried out by using Genespring 10.0 software, and cluster analysis was performed between HTS and normal skin groups within the group, and Gene Ontology (GO) and biological pathway analysis were performed for differentially expressed genes by using DAVID Bioinformatics Resources 6.7.

In the 3 HTS samples, 3832 mRNAs overlapped in 3 HTS samples with more than 2-fold changes, 1920 mRNAs with more than 2-fold up-regulation, 1912 mRNAs with more than 2-fold down-regulation, 18 mRNAs with more than 5-fold up-regulation, and 29 mRNAs with more than 5-fold down-regulation. The results of the GO analysis showed that CDKN1C, CDKN2A, CTNNA3, COL6A3, HOXB4 and other differentially expressed genes are closely related to biological processes such as cell cycle, cell proliferation, and cell adhesion. The kegg pathway enrichment analysis showed that TGF-β1, CDKN1C, CDKN2A, CDC14A, ITGB6, EGF and other differentially expressed genes are mainly involved in the formation of adhesion plaques, β transforming factor signaling pathways, cell cycle signaling pathways, P53 signaling pathways, and tumor-related signaling pathways.

The mRNA expression profile of human HTS samples showed significant changes compared to normal skin samples. TGF-β1, SMAD2, SMAD7, BAX, IGF2, COL1A1, COL1A2, MMPs, CDC14A, ITGB6, EGF, CDKN1C, CDKN2A, CTNNA3, HOXA3 and other related genes involved in biological processes, molecular functions, signaling pathways may be closely related to the occurrence and development of hypertrophic scars.