Frontiers in Immunology (Nov 2022)

M2 macrophage-related gene signature in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps

  • Ying Zhu,
  • Ying Zhu,
  • Ying Zhu,
  • Xiwen Sun,
  • Xiwen Sun,
  • Xiwen Sun,
  • Shaolin Tan,
  • Shaolin Tan,
  • Shaolin Tan,
  • Chunyu Luo,
  • Chunyu Luo,
  • Chunyu Luo,
  • Jiayao Zhou,
  • Jiayao Zhou,
  • Jiayao Zhou,
  • Shiyao Zhang,
  • Shiyao Zhang,
  • Shiyao Zhang,
  • Zhipeng Li,
  • Zhipeng Li,
  • Zhipeng Li,
  • Hai Lin,
  • Hai Lin,
  • Hai Lin,
  • Weitian Zhang,
  • Weitian Zhang,
  • Weitian Zhang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1047930
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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BackgroundChronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a common sinonasal inflammatory disorder with high heterogeneity. Increasing evidence have indicated that the infiltration of macrophages especially M2 macrophages play pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of CRSwNP, but the underlying mechanisms remain undetermined. This study sought to identify potential biomarkers related to M2 macrophages in CRSwNP.MethodsThe expression datasets of GSE136825 and GSE179265 were download from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and merged. Then, CIBERSORT and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) algorithms were applied to identify M2 macrophage-related gene modules. Thereafter, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to M2 macrophages were selected to perform functional enrichment analyses. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was built to identify hub genes and quantitative real-time reverse transcriptions PCR was used to verify the bioinformatics results.ResultsA total of 92 DEGs associated with M2 macrophages were identified for further analysis. The results of Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) analyses illustrated that M2 macrophage-associated DEGs primarily enriched in immune responses and extracellular matrix structure. PPI network analysis identified 18 hub genes related to M2 macrophages that might be pivotal in the pathogenesis of CRSwNP. After verification, AIF1, C1QA, C1QB, C3AR1, CCR1, CD163, CD4, CD53, CD86, CSF1R, CYBB, FCER1G, FCGR3A, IL10RA, ITGB2, LAPTM5, PLEK, TYROBP were identified as potential M2 macrophage-related biomarkers for CRSwNP.ConclusionThese findings yield new insights into the hub genes and mechanisms related to M2 macrophages in the pathogenesis of CRSwNP. Further studies of these hub genes would help better understand the disease progression and identify potential treatment targets.

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