Bioinformatic analysis of differentially expressed genes as prognostic markers in pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma tumors

Abstract

The pathogenesis of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PCPG) catecholamine-producing tumors is exceedingly complicated. Here, we sought to identify important genes affecting the prognosis and survival rate of patients suffering from PCPG. We analyzed 95 samples obtained from two microarray data series, GSE19422 and GSE60459, from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) repository. First, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by comparing 87 PCPG tumor samples and eight normal adrenal tissue samples using R language. The GEO2R tool and Venn diagram software were applied to the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) to analyze Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways and Gene Ontology (GO). We further employed Cytoscape with the Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE) tool to make protein-protein interactions visible for the Search Tool for Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING). These procedures resulted in 30 candidate DEGs, which were subjected to Kaplan-Meier analysis and validated by Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) to determine their influence on overall survival rate. Finally, we identified ALDH3A2 and AKR1B1, two genes in the glycerolipid metabolism pathway, as being particularly enriched in PCPG tumors and correlated with T and B tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Our results suggest that these two DEGs are closely associated with the prognosis of malignant PCPG tumors.

Contribution of WNT2B Genetic Variants to Ischemic Stroke Occurrence in a Chinese Han Population

“…23 WNT2B was upregulated in ischemic brain damage and was related to the repair process of brain damage. 19 These studies hinted that WNT2B might be associated with the pathogenesis of IS. Previously, genetic variants in WNT2B were associated with various diseases, such as melanoma, 24 microphthalmia, anophthalmia, coloboma, 25 and bipolar disorder.…”

“…18 Previously, the Wnt signaling pathway-related WNT2B gene was upregulated in ischemic brain damage. 19 A multiancestry genome-wide association study displayed that WNT2B rs12037987 was associated with stroke. 20 Masoumeh Pourasgari et al reported WNT2B rs12037987 was an effective stroke locus for stroke risk with function information.…”

AKR1B1 Represses Glioma Cell Proliferation through p38 MAPK-Mediated Bcl-2/BAX/Caspase-3 Apoptotic Signaling Pathways

“…AKR1B1 is involved in a complex network of signaling pathways, including oxidative stress, inflammation, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition [ 7 ]. Downregulating AKR1B1 reportedly leads to poor prognosis and significantly impacts survival in patients with pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma tumors [ 8 ]. AKR1B1 downregulation is also reported in hepatocellular carcinoma [ 9 ], endometrial cancer [ 10 ], sporadic adrenocortical tumors [ 11 ], and prostate cancer [ 6 ].…”