Identification of genes and key pathways underlying the pathophysiological association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and atrial fibrillation

作者：Yanan Chu, Fangcong Yu, Yakui Wu, Jinxiu Yang, Jiaran Shi, Tianxin Ye, Deheng Han, Xingxiang Wang · 发表于：BMC Medical Genomics · 年份：2022 · DOI：10.1186/s12920-022-01300-1 · 被引用次数：16 · 研究领域：Atrial Fibrillation Management and Outcomes、Cardiovascular Disease and Adiposity、Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most prevalent sustained cardiac arrhythmias. The latest studies have revealed a tight correlation between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and AF. However, the exact molecular mechanisms underlying the association between NAFLD and AF remain unclear. The current research aimed to expound the genes and signaling pathways that are related to the mechanisms underlying the association between these two diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: NAFLD- and AF- related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified via bioinformatic analysis of the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets GSE63067 and GSE79768, respectively. Further enrichment analysis of Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), the construction of a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, the identification of significant hub genes, and receiver operator characteristic curve analysis were conducted. The gene-disease interactions were analyzed using the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database. In addition, the hub genes were validated by quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR) in NAFLD cell model. RESULTS: A total of 45 co-expressed differentially expressed genes (co-DEGs) were identified between the NAFLD/AF and healthy control individuals. GO and KEGG pathway analyses revealed that the co-DEGs were mostly enriched in neutrophil activation involved in the immune response and cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions. Moreover, eight hub...