Identification of differentially expressed genes associated with asthma in children based on the bioanalysis of the regulatory network

Abstract

Asthma, the most common chronic respiratory tract disease in children, is characterized by allergy, recurring airway obstruction and bronchospasm. The aim of the present study was to screen critical differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in asthma in children. Gene expression in different tissues was compared between asthmatic children and healthy control subjects in order to identify DEGs associated with asthma. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed for the DEGs and weighted gene co-expression network analysis methods were used to further determine the functional modules associated with DEGs in different tissue samples. In addition, the gene co-expression network was constructed. Gene Ontology function analysis and pathway analysis were conducted to identify critical DEGs. The results identified numerous DEGs from the different tissue samples, including 1,662 DEGs from nasal-epithelium tissue samples, 572 DEGs from peripheral blood (PB) samples and 146 DEGs from PB mononuclear cells samples. In the PPI network, F-box only protein 6 (FBXO6), histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) and amyloid β precursor protein (APP) were hub genes and served an important role in the process of asthma. In addition, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), integrin α-4 (ITGA4), catenin α-1 (CTNNA1), nuclear factor-κB1 (NF-κB1) and mechanistic target of rapamycin (MTOR) may be critical DEGs involved in the progression of asthma in children. These results suggested that FBXO6, HDAC1 and APP may interact with PCNA, ITGA4, CTNNA1, NF-κB1 and mTOR in the progression of asthma in children.

Pre‐ and postnatal Lactobacillus reuteri treatment alters DNA methylation of infant T helper cells

“…24 The likewise hypermethylated gene ITGA4, coding for integrin subunit alpha 4, is differentially expressed in children developing asthma. 25 When coupled with the integrin beta 7 subunit, the heterodimeric protein drives preferential homing of T cells to the gut mucosa. 26 The expression of integrin alpha4beta7 in allergen-stimulated CD4+ T cells is also elevated in allergic compared with healthy subjects.…”

HDAC inhibitor sodium butyrate prevents allergic rhinitis and alters lncRNA and mRNA expression profiles in the nasal mucosa of mice

“…Targeting HAT Tip60 inhibits intestinal allergies in a mouse model (10). The expression of HdAc1, HdAc5, HdAc6 and HdAc8 increases in asthmatic mice (11); HdAc11 (12) and HdAc1 (13) expression levels are increased in patients with AR, and HdAc1 also participates in the pathogenesis of childhood asthma (14).…”

Variable Expressed Methylation Sites of Aging-related Genes in Asthma

“…Moreover, except for ATG3, HDAC1, and TGFB1, correlation analysis showed that the expression of the aging-related genes in peripheral blood of asthma patients was signi cantly correlated with pulmonary function parameters (FEV 1 %, FEV 1 , FVC, PEF, FEF 75 , FEF 50 , FEF 25 ). It is known that TGFB1 was a key regulatory cytokine in the process of airway remodeling [62] and HDAC1 played a vital role in the pathogenesis of asthma [63]. This partial difference may be due to the single nucleotide polymorphism in asthma [64].…”