Identification of key biomarkers related to fibrocartilage chondrocytes for osteoarthritis based on bulk, single-cell transcriptomic data

作者：Bailin Pan, Peixiu Yao, Jinjin Ma, Xuanhao Lin, Laixi Zhou, Canzhen Lin, Canzhen Lin, Yufeng Zhang, Bendan Lin, C. X. Lin, C. X. Lin · 发表于：Frontiers in Immunology · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.3389/fimmu.2024.1482361 · 被引用次数：12 · 研究领域：Osteoarthritis Treatment and Mechanisms、Rheumatoid Arthritis Research and Therapies、Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics

Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent joint disease that severely impacts patients' quality of life. Due to its unclear pathogenesis and lack of effective therapeutic targets, discovering new biomarkers for OA is essential. Recently, the role of chondrocyte subpopulations in OA progression has gained significant attention, offering potential insights into the disease. This study aimed to explore the role of fibrocartilage chondrocytes (FC) in the progression of OA and identify key biomarkers related to FC. Methods: We analyzed single-cell ribonucleic acid sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from samples of OA and normal cartilage, focusing on FC. Microarray data were integrated to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We conducted functional-enrichment analyses, including Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO), and used weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm to select biomarkers. A novel risk model for OA was constructed using these biomarkers. We then built a transcription factor (TF)-gene interaction network and performed immunohistochemistry (IHC) to validate protein expression levels of these biomarkers in cartilage samples. Results: The study identified 545 marker genes associated with FC in OA. GO and KEGG analyses revealed their biological functions; microarray analysis identified 243 DEGs on which functional-enrichment analysis were condu...