AUTHOR=Wang Xiaochuan , Wang Xiaoyang , Liu Zhenzhong , Liu Lei , Zhang Jixun , Jiang Duyin , Huang Guobao 

TITLE=Identification of inflammation-related biomarkers in keloids

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1351513

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2024.1351513

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p>The relationship between inflammation-related genes (IRGs) and keloid disease (KD) is currently unclear. The aim of this study was to identify a new set of inflammation-related biomarkers in KD.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>GSE145725 and GSE7890 datasets were used in this study. A list of 3026 IRGs was obtained from the Molecular Signatures Database. Differentially expressed inflammation-related genes (DEGs) were obtained by taking the intersection of DEGs between KD and control samples and the list of IRGs. Candidate genes were selected using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis. Candidate genes with consistent expression differences between KD and control in both GSE145725 and GSE7890 datasets were screened as biomarkers. An alignment diagram was constructed and validated, and in silico immune infiltration analysis and drug prediction were performed. Finally, RT-qPCR was performed on KD samples to analyze the expression of the identified biomarkers.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>A total of 889 DEGs were identified from the GSE145725 dataset, 169 of which were IRGs. Three candidate genes (<italic>TRIM32</italic>, <italic>LPAR1</italic> and <italic>FOXF1</italic>) were identified by the LASSO regression analysis, and expression validation analysis suggested that <italic>FOXF1</italic> and <italic>LPAR1</italic> were down-regulated in KD samples and <italic>TRIM32</italic> was up-regulated. All three candidate genes had consistent changes in expression in both the GSE145725 and GSE7890 datasets. An alignment diagram was constructed to predict KD. Effector memory CD4 T cells, T follicular helper cell, Myeloid derived suppressor cell, activated dendritic cell, Immature dendritic cell and Monocyte were differentially expressed between the KD and control group. Sixty-seven compounds that may act on <italic>FOXF1</italic>, 108 compounds that may act on <italic>LPAR1</italic> and 56 compounds that may act on <italic>TRIM32</italic> were predicted. Finally, RT-qPCR showed that the expression of <italic>LPAR1</italic> was significantly lower in KD samples compared to normal samples whereas <italic>TRIM32</italic> was significantly higher, while there was no difference in the expression of <italic>FOXF1</italic>.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>This study provides a new perspective to study the relationship between IRGs and KD.</p></sec>