Network analysis reveals miRNA crosstalk between periodontitis and oral squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Abstract Background Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the malignant tumors with a poor prognosis. Periodontitis (PD is considered a high-risk factor for OSCC, but the genetic mechanism is rarely studied. This study aims to link OSCC and PD by identifying common differentially expressed miRNAs (Co-DEmiRNAs), their related genes (Hub genes), transcription factors (TFs), signaling pathways, enrichment functions, and compounds, and searching for genetic commonalities. Methods The miRNAs expression datasets of OSCC and PD were searched from the GEO database. The miRNA and related crosstalk mechanism between OSCC and PD was obtained through a series of analyses. Results hsa-mir-497, hsa-mir-224, hsa-mir-210, hsa-mir-29c, hsa-mir-486-5p, and hsa-mir-31are the top miRNA nodes in Co-DEmiRNA-Target networks. The most significant candidate miRNA dysregulation genes are ZNF460, FBN1, CDK6, BTG2, and CBX6, while the most important dysregulation TF includes HIF1A, TP53, E2F1, MYCN, and JUN. 5-fluorouracil, Ginsenoside, Rh2, and Formaldehyde are the most correlated compounds. Enrichment analysis revealed cancer-related pathways and so on. Conclusions The comprehensive analysis reveals the interacting genetic and molecular mechanism between OSCC and PD, linking both and providing a foundation for future basic and clinical research.

Keywords

• Network analysis
• MicroRNA
• Genetic crosstalk
• Periodontitis
• Oral squamous cell carcinoma