Potential Genes and Pathways Associated with Heterotopic Ossification, Derived from Analyses of Gene Expression Profiles

Abstract

Background: Heterotopic ossification (HO) represents pathological lesions, referred to the development of heterotopic bone in extraskeletal tissues around joints. This study will investigate the genetic characteristics of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) from HO tissues and explore the potential pathways involved. Methods: The gene expression profiles (GSE94683) was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), including 9 normal specimens and 7 HO specimens, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Then, the protein‑protein interaction (PPI) networks, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were performed for further analysis. Results: Totally 275 DEGs were differentially expressed, of which 153 were upregulated and 122 were downregulated. In the biological process (BP), the majority of DEGs, including EFNB3, UNC5C, TMEFF2, PTH2, KIT, FGF13 and WISP3, were intensively enriched in cell signal transmission items, including axon guidance, negative regulation of cell migration, peptidyl-tyrosine phosphorylation and cell-cell signaling. Moreover, KEGG analysis indicated that the majority of DEGs, including EFNB3, UNC5C, FGF13, MAPK10, DDIT3, KIT, COL4A4 and DKK2, primarily involved in mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, Ras signaling pathway, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway and Wnt signaling pathway. 10 hub genes were identified, including CX3CL1, CXCL1, ADAMTS3, ADAMTS16, ADAMTSL2, ADAMTSL3, ADAMTSL5, PENK, GPR18, CALB2.Conclusions: This study presents a novel insight into the pathogenesis of HO. 10 hub genes and most of the DEGs intensively involved in enrichment analyses may be the new candidate targets for the prevention and treatment of HO in the future.

Case Report: Unusual Heterotopic Ossification of the Hindfoot

“…Nevertheless, this is explained by the fact that the patient presented with a single lesion, without relapses or secondary masses, without clinical suspicion of FOP, POH or Albright hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO) and with a completely negative family history. Genetics in this setting is still largely inconclusive ( 23 , 24 ).…”