Integrative analysis reveals marker genes for intestinal mucosa barrier repairing in clinical patients
Xiao-Hu Zhao,
Peinan Zhao,
Zihao Deng,
Ting Yang,
Yu-Xing Qi,
Li-Ya An,
Da-Li Sun,
Hai-Yu He
Affiliations
Xiao-Hu Zhao
Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University / Second Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650101, China
Peinan Zhao
Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), Central Clinical School, Monash University, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
Zihao Deng
Department of Medicine (Alfred Hospital), Central Clinical School, Monash University, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
Ting Yang
Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University / Second Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650101, China
Yu-Xing Qi
Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University / Second Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650101, China
Li-Ya An
Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University / Second Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650101, China
Da-Li Sun
Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University / Second Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650101, China; Corresponding author
Hai-Yu He
Department of Gastroenterology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University / Second Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650101, China; Corresponding author
Summary: This study aims to identify biomarkers of intestinal repair and provide potential therapeutic clues for improving functional recovery and prognostic performance after intestinal inflammation or injury. Here, we conducted a large-scale screening of multiple transcriptomic and scRNA-seq datasets of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and identified 10 marker genes that potentially contribute to intestinal barrier repairing: AQP8, SULT1A1, HSD17B2, PADI2, SLC26A2, SELENBP1, FAM162A, TNNC2, ACADS, and TST. Analysis of a published scRNA-seq dataset revealed that expression of these healing markers were specific to absorptive cell types in intestinal epithelium. Furthermore, we conducted a clinical study where 11 patients underwent ileum resection demonstrating that upregulation of post-operative AQP8 and SULT1A1 expression were associated with improved recovery of bowel functions after surgery-induced intestinal injury, making them confident biomarkers of intestinal healing as well as potential prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for patients with impaired intestinal barrier functions.
