AUTHOR=Gao Zhenyu , Zhai Xinchao , Yan Guoqing , Tian Yao , Huang Xia , Wu Qingchao , Yuan Lin , Su Linchong TITLE=Bioinformatics analyses of gene expression profile to identify pathogenic mechanisms for COVID-19 infection and cutaneous lupus erythematosus JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology VOLUME=14 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1268912 DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2023.1268912 ISSN=1664-3224 ABSTRACT=Objective

The global mortality rates have surged due to the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), leading to a worldwide catastrophe. Increasing incidents of patients suffering from cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) exacerbations after either contracting COVID-19 or getting immunized against it, have been observed in recent research. However, the precise intricacies that prompt this unexpected complication are yet to be fully elucidated. This investigation seeks to probe into the molecular events inciting this adverse outcome.

Method

Gene expression patterns from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, specifically GSE171110 and GSE109248, were extracted. We then discovered common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in both COVID-19 and CLE. This led to the creation of functional annotations, formation of a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and identification of key genes. Furthermore, regulatory networks relating to these shared DEGs and significant genes were constructed.

Result

We identified 214 overlapping DEGs in both COVID-19 and CLE datasets. The following functional enrichment analysis of these DEGs highlighted a significant enrichment in pathways related to virus response and infectious disease in both conditions. Next, a PPI network was constructed using bioinformatics tools, resulting in the identification of 5 hub genes. Finally, essential regulatory networks including transcription factor-gene and miRNA-gene interactions were determined.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate shared pathogenesis between COVID-19 and CLE, offering potential insights for future mechanistic investigations. And the identification of common pathways and key genes in these conditions may provide novel avenues for research.