Hub gene mining and immune microenvironment analysis of autophagy in rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Background Autophagy is closely associated with the pathogenesis and progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the mechanisms of RA and autophagy are currently unclear. Therefore, it is essential to identify appropriate biomarkers for early diagnosis. Methods Autophagy-related genes (ARGs) were intersected with differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The resulting intersection was subjected to GO, KEGG, and GSEA analysis, and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was drawn to further analyze hub genes. The performance evaluation of the hub gene was identified to explore its potential value. Based on this, different correlations with immune cell infiltration were analyzed. Results Five relatively stable hub genes–CXCL10, CXCL9, GZMB, IL7R, and CD2–were identified. Expression levels of these genes also differed. Through functional enrichment analysis, we found that they were related to autophagy and natural immune inflammation and that the expression of the hub gene was associated with the expression of the infiltrating immune cell abundance gene. Conclusion In our study, five hub genes were identified, which may help develop therapeutic agents targeting autophagy for the early diagnosis and treatment of patients with RA.