GPX4 is a key ferroptosis biomarker and correlated with immune cell populations and immune checkpoints in childhood sepsis

Abstract

Sepsis is the uncontrolled reaction of the body to infection-induced inflammation, which results in life-threatening multiple-organ dysfunction (MODS). Although the research on sepsis has advanced significantly in recent years, its pathophysiology remains entirely unknown. Ferroptosis is a new-fashioned type of programmed cell death that may have an impact on sepsis development. However, the precise mechanism still needs to be explored. In this paper, Four pediatric sepsis datasets [training datasets (GSE26378 and GSE26440) and validation datasets (GSE11755 and GSE11281)] were chosen through the GEO (Gene Expression Omnibus) database, and 63 differentially expressions of ferroptosis-relation-genes (DE-FRGs) were eventually discovered using bioinformatics investigation. Functional annotation was performed using GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. Then, four Core-FRGs (FTH1, GPX4, ACSL1, and ACSL6) were extracted after the construction of the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network and the research of the MCODE module. Consequently, Hub-FRG (GPX4) was found using the validation datasets, and correlation exploration of immunity populations (neutrophils, r = − 0.52; CD8 T-cells, r = 0.43) and immunity checkpoints (CD274, r = − 0.42) was implemented. The usefulness of GPX4 as a marker in sepsis was assessed in a mouse model of sepsis. The findings demonstrate that GPX4 is a crucial biomarker and a new latent immunotherapy target for the prediction and therapy of pediatric sepsis.