Analysis of m6A regulator-mediated RNA methylation modification patterns and immune infiltration characterization in schizophrenia

Abstract

Background: Epigenetic modification has provided novel insight for understanding the complex mechanism of psychiatric disorders. However, how m6A RNA methylation modification played a role in schizophrenia (SCZ) remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of m6A modification and their relationship with the immune infiltration characteristics of SCZ. Methods: We searched the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Finally, 391 postmortem brains of SCZ were used to assess the differential expression level of m6A methylation regulators between SCZ and controls. The relative expression abundance of immune cells and immune functions was examined by Single-Sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA). Results: We found significant differences in the expression levels of m6A regulators between SCZ and controls. Logistic-LASSO regression analysis identified the 6 key m6A regulators, and the risk scores could well distinguish SCZ and controls. There were significant differences in immune cells and immune functions. We identified 4 potential m6A methylation modification key genes of SCZ. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that m6A regulators and immune infiltration characteristics might play an important role in the pathogenesis of SCZ. However, we need more clinical evidence to validate these found.