Abstract
Severe burns are acute wounds caused by local heat exposure, resulting in life-threatening systemic effects and poor survival. However, the specific molecular mechanisms remain unclear. First, we downloaded gene expression data related to severe burns from the GEO database (GSE19743, GSE37069, and GSE77791). Then, a gene expression analysis was performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and construct protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. The molecular mechanism was identified by enrichment analysis and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis. In addition, STEM software was used to screen for genes persistently expressed during response to severe burns, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to identify key DEGs. A total of 2631 upregulated and 3451 downregulated DEGs were identified. PPI network analysis clustered these DEGs into 13 modules. Importantly, module genes mostly related with immune responses and metabolism. In addition, we identified genes persistently altered during the response to severe burns corresponding to survival and death status. Among the genes with high area under the ROC curve in the PPI network gene, CCL5 and LCK were identified as key DEGs, which may affect the prognosis of burn patients. Gene set variation analysis showed that the immune response was inhibited and several types of immune cells were decreased, while the metabolic response was enhanced. The results showed that persistent gene expression changes occur in response to severe burns, which may underlie chronic alterations in physiological pathways. Identifying the key altered genes may reveal potential therapeutic targets for mitigating the effects of severe burns.
Highlights
IntroductionAccording to the latest report of the World Health Organization (WHO), it is estimated that 265,000 people die of burns every year
Severe burns are serious injuries with global influence
We conducted a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis of gene expression data of severe burn patients to determine the key differentially expressed genes (DEGs) as potential biomarkers
Summary
According to the latest report of the World Health Organization (WHO), it is estimated that 265,000 people die of burns every year. More than 500,000 people seek treatment each year in the United States, 40,000 are hospitalized, and 4000 die because of severe burns [1]. Improvements in treatments have increased the survival rate of many severely burned people. Great progress has been made in the identification of clinical biomarkers for severely burned patients [4,5,6]. The response to severe burns affects almost every organ [7]. Inflammation, hypermetabolism, muscle wasting, and insulin resistance are all markers of pathophysiological response after severe burn [8]. Burned patients are divided into several stages for management and treatment, and each stage has different molecular and cellular
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