Screening and Verification COPD-OSA Overlap Syndrome Core Genes Using Bioinformatics.

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Genetics
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Overlap syndrome (OS) involves the coexistence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• The underlying molecular mechanisms of OS remain largely unknown.
• This study employed bioinformatics to investigate potential molecular mechanisms of OS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in OSA and COPD.
• To uncover key genes and molecular pathways associated with OS using bioinformatics.
• To validate potential diagnostic or mechanistic biomarkers for OS.

Main Methods:

• Acquired gene expression datasets for OSA and COPD from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database.
• Performed differential gene expression analysis and Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA).
• Validated identified key genes, including GRM8, using external datasets and RT-qPCR.

Main Results:

• Identified 9 common DEGs and 128 common key module genes between OSA and COPD.
• Determined 5 key genes by intersecting DEG and WGCNA results.
• Found GRM8 significantly downregulated in COPD and OS patients compared to controls, with high diagnostic value (AUC=0.857).

Conclusions:

• Identified GRM8 as a potential hub gene significantly associated with OS.
• The findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of OS.
• GRM8 may serve as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for OS.