Abstract
Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic joint disease characterized by degenerative changes in the articular cartilage and secondary osteophytes. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in osteoarthritis have not yet been fully elucidated. This study aims to screen genes associated with osteoarthritis and analyze the molecular mechanisms associated with it, aiming to find credible biomarkers.
Methods: The signature gene (CX3CR1) was obtained by downloading the microarray expression profiling dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) public database and screened using R software. The CX3CR1-related DEGs were obtained by correlation analysis and were analysed by gene ontology (GO) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway (KEGG), and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) for enrichment and immunocorrelation analyses. In addition, a ceRNA network was constructed. qRT-PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry were used to verify CX3CR1 expression in vitro.
Results:CX3CR1 was used as the signature gene by screening in this research. And CX3CR1 was found to affect the development of osteoarthritis mainly through lipid metabolism-related functions and pathways. The number of immune cells, such as mast cells activated may have an impact on the progression of OA. The results of qRT-PCR, Western blot, and Immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated the high expression of CX3CR1 in the OA group.
Conclusions:CX3CR1 and its related molecules may play an important role in the development of osteoarthritis and can be used as biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of osteoarthritis.