Molecular Pathways in Low and High-grade Non-muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer as Revealed by Several OMICs Data Analyses

Abstract

Background: Bladder cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers, accounting for 2.1% of cancer mortalities worldwide. Bladder cancer is categorized into non-muscle invasive and muscle-invasive bladder cancers. Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is the most common and widely heterogeneous type with different outcomes. Objectives: This study was designed to categorize NMIBC tumor grade based on microarray data analysis. Methods: We performed microarray data analysis using GSE7476, GSE13507, and GSE37815 in patients diagnosed with NMIBC. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified based on low-grade and high-grade NMIBC. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis was carried out, and hub genes and underlying molecular pathways were identified. Results: We observed low-grade Hub genes, including GAS6, TGFB3, TPM1, COL5A1, COL1A2, SERPING1, ACTA2, TPM2, SDC1, and A2M involved in a variety of gene ontology (GO) biological processes, while high-grade genes were involved in cell cycle and cell division. The most relevant pathways suggested for low-grade NMIBC were extracellular matrix organization, platelet degranulation, and muscle contraction. Conclusions: The identification of gene hubs and underlying pathways in several low and high-grade NMIBC samples may offer better treatment management and prognostication based on molecular profiling.