Identification immune-related biomarkers of ankylosing spondylitis based on bioinformatics analysis

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to search for key genes in ankylosing spondylitis through comprehensive bioinformatics analysis, thus providing some theoretical support for future diagnosis and treatment of AS and further research. Methods: The expression matrix of ankylosing spondylitis was downloaded and integrated through public libraries. A bioinformatic approach was used to screen differential genes and perform functional enrichment analysis to obtain biological functions and signaling pathways associated with the disease. Weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) was used to further obtain key genes. Immune infiltration analysis was performed using the CIBERSORT algorithm to obtain the correlation analysis of key genes with immune cells. The GWAS data of AS were analyzed to identify the pathogenic regions of key genes in AS. Finally, potential therapeutic agents for AS were predicted using these key genes. Results: A total of 7 potential biomarkers were identified: DYSF, BASP1, PYGL, SPI1, C5AR1, ANPEP and SORL1.ROC curves showed good prediction of each gene. T cell, CD4 naive, and neutrophil levels were significantly higher in the disease group compared to the paired normal group, and key gene expression was strongly correlated with immune cells.CMap results showed that the expression profiles of ibuprofen, forskolin, bongkrek-acid, and cimaterol showed the most significant negative correlation with the expression profiles of disease perturbations, suggesting that these drugs may play a role in AS play a good role in the treatment. Conclusion: The potential biomarkers of AS screened in this study are closely related to the level of immune cell infiltration and play an important role in the immune microenvironment. This may provide help for clinical diagnosis and treatment of AS and provide new ideas for further research.