SRD5A2 in the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia mechanism and immune infiltration analysis

Abstract This study aimed to elucidate the pathological mechanism of Steroid 5 Alpha-Reductase 2 (SRD5A2) in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) using various methods. BPH datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were analyzed, and correlations between SRD5A2 and other genes were calculated. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) identified potential functions of SRD5A2, and key pathways were determined by intersecting the enrichment results of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in BPH and control samples with SRD5A2 enrichment. Single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified key pathways-related genes. Candidate genes were defined as overlapping genes among SRD5A2-related genes, key pathways-related genes, and DEGs. Functional similarity analysis identified genes significantly associated with SRD5A2. Support Vector Machine (SVM) analysis based on these genes revealed four key genes (SLIT3, TCF21, MATN2, and PSMG4) with good diagnostic efficacy. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) confirmed statistically significant differential expression of MATN2 and PSMG4. In conclusion, this study explored the potential biological functions of SRD5A2-related genes in BPH, providing insights into its treatment.