Identification of pathways and genes associated with synovitis in osteoarthritis using bioinformatics analyses

Abstract

Synovitis in osteoarthritis (OA) is a very common condition. However, its underlying mechanism is still not well understood. This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms of synovitis in OA. The gene expression profile GSE82107 (downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database) included 10 synovial tissues of the OA patients and 7 synovial tissues of healthy people. Subsequently, differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis, GO (gene ontology) enrichment analysis, pathway analysis, pathway network analysis, and gene signal network analysis were performed using Gene-Cloud of Biotechnology Information (GCBI). A total of 1,941 DEGs consisting of 1,471 upregulated genes and 470 downregulated genes were determined. Genes such as PSMG3, LRP12 MIA-RAB4B, ETHE1, SFXN1, DAZAP1, RABEP2, and C9orf16 were significantly regulated in synovitis of OA. In particular, the MAPK signalling pathway, apoptosis, and pathways in cancer played the most important roles in the pathway network. The relationships between these pathways were also analysed. Genes such as NRAS, SPHK2, FOS, CXCR4, PLD1, GNAI2, and PLA2G4F were strongly implicated in synovitis of OA. In summary, this study indicated that several molecular mechanisms were implicated in the development and progression of synovitis in OA, thus improving our understanding of OA and offering molecular targets for future therapeutic advances.