Systematic Identification of Key Functional Modules and Genes in Gastric Cancer.

Cheng Yang,Jin-Yu Sun,Li-Li Zhao,Zhi-Ning Fan,Maciej Gagat,Rui Wu

doi:10.1155/2020/8853348

Abstract

Gastric cancer (GC) is associated with high incidence and mortality rates worldwide. Differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis and weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) are important bioinformatic methods for screening core genes. In our study, DEG analysis and WGCNA were combined to screen the hub genes, and pathway enrichment analyses were performed on the DEGs. SBNO2 was identified as the hub gene based on the intersection between the DEGs and the purple module in WGCNA. The expression and prognostic value of SBNO2 were verified in UALCAN, GEPIA2, Human Cancer Metastasis Database, Kaplan–Meier plotter, and TIMER. We identified 1974 DEGs, and 28 modules were uncovered via WGCNA. The purple module was identified as the hub module in WGCNA. SBNO2 was identified as the hub gene, which was upregulated in tumour tissues. Moreover, patients with GC and higher SBNO2 expression had worse prognoses. In addition, SBNO2 was suggested to play an important role in immune cell infiltration. In summary, based on DEGs and key modules related to GC, we identified SBNO2 as a hub gene, thereby offering novel insights into the development and treatment of GC.

Highlights

Gastric cancer (GC) is associated with high incidence and mortality rates worldwide, especially in China, Japan, and Korea [1]
1974 Differentially expressed gene (DEG) were identified in GC tissues compared with their expression in normal tissues
Gene Ontology (GO) analysis suggested that the DEGs may play important roles in extracellular structure organisation, leukocyte migration, granulocyte chemotaxis, extracellular matrix structural constituent, and other processes (Figures 1(d) and 1(e))

Summary

Introduction

Gastric cancer (GC) is associated with high incidence and mortality rates worldwide, especially in China, Japan, and Korea [1]. Because of the occult and atypical symptoms of early GC, more than 60% of patients present with advanced disease at the time of diagnosis [4]. Gastroscopy has greatly improved the detection of early GC, its use remains low. Despite the availability of a national GC screening program in Korea, only 56.3% of people were screened via gastroscopy in 2015, and people with severe disabilities had a markedly lower screening rate (51.9%) [5]. It is necessary to explore simpler, safer, and more efficient biological markers for the clinical diagnosis and prognostic assessment of patients with GC

Methods

Results

Conclusion