Objective: To analyze the enrichment pathway, hub gene, and Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and construct peripheral blood subtypes based on integrated bioinformatics analysis.
Methods: Suitable datasets were screened from the GEO database based on titles and abstracts, batch positive analysis was performed using R language, and KEGG enrichment analysis and GO enrichment analysis were performed. After screening the differential genes, the PPI network was constructed, and the hubba plug-in of Cytoscape software was used to obtain the top 10 hub genes(key regulatory genes). hub genes were used as the typing condition to identify the molecular subtypes of synovial tissue and peripheral blood of arthritis.
Results: GSE12021 and GSE93272 have been chosen for analysis. GSE12021 presents the transcriptome analysis of human joint synovial tissue, comprising 12 samples from patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 9 samples from normal healthy individuals. On the other hand, GSE93272 includes human peripheral blood samples, comprising 232 samples from patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 43 samples from normal healthy individuals. The main results of GSE12021 KEGG enrichment were Parathyroid hormone synthesis, Relaxin signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, Rheumatoid arthritis, T cell receptor signaling pathway, Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation, Th17 cell differentiation, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway and so on. The main results of GSE12021 GO enrichment were regulation of feeding behavior, regulation of neuron death, positive regulation of cell-cell adhesion, and positive regulation of leukocyte activation. The top 10 hub genes were CD8A, JUN, CTLA4, CD19, LCK, FOS, CCL5, IL7R, CCR7 and CD247. Synovial tissue and peripheral blood subtypes of rheumatoid arthritis showed that the two classification methods maintained consistency.
Conclusion: Identifying the Hub gene in peripheral blood helps screen molecular subtypes of rheumatoid arthritis.