Shared Biomarkers LCN2 and CXCL11 for Ulcerative Colitis and Colon Cancer: Bioinformatics Analysis and Diagnostic...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Gastroenterology
• Immunology

Background:

• Chronic inflammation, particularly ulcerative colitis, significantly elevates colon cancer risk (2-3x general population).
• Ulcerative colitis is a complex chronic inflammatory condition.
• Understanding shared molecular mechanisms between ulcerative colitis and colon cancer is crucial for early detection and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify common diagnostic markers between ulcerative colitis and colon cancer.
• To investigate shared pathogenic pathways and immune microenvironment similarities.
• To develop and evaluate a multi-gene diagnostic model for these diseases.

Main Methods:

• Transcriptome data analysis from GEO and TCGA databases.
• Gene identification using Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) and differential expression analysis.
• Machine learning algorithms (MCC, LASSO, RF) and pathway analyses (GO, KEGG, GSEA) for core gene and pathway identification.

Main Results:

• Eighty-seven common differentially expressed genes were identified between ulcerative colitis and colon cancer.
• LCN2 and CXCL11 were identified as key diagnostic genes with high expression and AUC > 0.7.
• Pathway analyses revealed enrichment in immune response and cell proliferation, highlighting shared inflammatory mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• Ulcerative colitis and colon cancer share common diagnostic markers and pathogenic pathways.
• Similarities exist in the immune cell infiltration microenvironment.
• A multi-gene diagnostic model demonstrates superior diagnostic performance over single genes.