Ferroptosis-Related Genes in IgA Nephropathy: Screening for Potential Targets of the Mechanism

Overview

Journal Int J Genomics

Publisher Wiley

Date 2024 Aug 22

PMID 39171207

Authors

Wenhui Zhu

Yao Chen

Jing Xiao

Chuchu Cheng

Guijie Ma

Yang Wang

Yonggang Zhang

Ming Chen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Exploring key genes and potential molecular pathways of ferroptosis in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). The IgAN datasets and ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) were obtained in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and FerrDb database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using R software and intersected with FRGs to obtain differentially expressed FRGs (DE-FRGs). After that, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis (PEA) and Gene Ontology (GO) functional annotation were performed on DE-FRGs. In the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) website, we construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. The PPI network was further investigated with screening hub genes with Cytoscape software. The core genes were then subjected to gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Finally, the samples were analyzed for immune infiltration in R, and the correlation between hub genes and immune cells was analyzed. A total of 347 DEGs were identified. CD44, CDO1, CYBB, IL1B, RRM2, AKR1C1, activated transcription factor-3 (ATF3), CDKN1A, GDF15, JUN, MGST1, MIOX, MT1G, NR4A1, PDK4, TNFAIP3, and ZFP36 were determined as DE-FRGs. JUN, IL1B, and ATF3 were then screened as hub genes. GSEA and immune infiltration analysis revealed that the hub genes were closely associated with immune inflammatory responses such as NOD-like receptor signaling, IL-17 signaling, and TNF signaling. Our results show that JUN and ATF3 are possibly critical genes in the process of IgAN ferroptosis and may be related with immune cell infiltration.

Citing Articles

GPX4 expression changes in proximal tubule cells highlight the role of ferroptosis in IgAN.

Qing J, Zhang L, Fan R, Zhi H, Li C, Li Y Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1):3886.

PMID: 39890853 PMC: 11785777. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-87228-9.

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