Intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and selectin l play crucial roles in ulcerative colitis

Abstract

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that primarily affects the mucosal layer of the colon (large intestine). However, the relationship between Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM1), SELL and UC is unclear. The UC datasets, GSE87466 and GSE36807, were downloaded from the gene expression omnibus database. The R package limma was utilized to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was conducted. The construction and analysis of protein–protein interaction network, functional enrichment analysis, gene set enrichment analysis, and comparative toxicogenomics database analysis were performed. TargetScan was employed to screen miRNAs regulating central DEGs. Western blot (WB) was used to verify. A total of 2118 DEGs were identified in our study. Gene ontology analysis indicated their enrichment primarily in immune system processes, cellular responses to chemical stimuli, responses to organic substances, responses to external stimuli, and immune responses. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis revealed that the target cells were mainly enriched in chemokine signaling pathways and TNF signaling pathways. Gene set enrichment analysis enrichment analysis showed significant enrichment in chemokine signaling pathways and cell adhesion molecules. In the Metascape enrichment project, gene ontology terms included regulation of cell activation and positive regulation of immune response. Through the construction and analysis of a protein–protein interaction network, we identified 11 core genes (ICAM1, SELL, CD44, CD40, CCR7, CXCL8, CD19, CCL4, CD274, IL7R, IL1B). We found that the core genes (ICAM1, SELL) were highly expressed in UC samples and lowly expressed in normal samples, suggesting their potential regulatory roles in UC. These core genes were associated with lymphoproliferative disorders, inflammation and necrosis. WB results confirmed the high expression of ICAM1 and SELL in UC. ICAM1 and SELL are highly expressed in UC, and the higher the ICAM1 and SELL genes, the worse the prognosis.