Analysis of Potential Hub Genes and Related Transcription Factors in Rosacea Patients using Bioinformatics Analysis

Objective: The aim of this study is to discover the adipocyte genes and pathways involved in rosacea using bioinformatics analysis. Methods: The GSE65914 gene expression profile was obtained. The GEO2R tool was used to screen out differentially expressed genes (DEGs). It was further analyzed with Gene Ontology (GO) to explore functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) to explore cell signaling pathways. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks among the DEGs were found by STRING databases and visualized in Cytoscape software. The related transcription factors regulatory network of the DEGs were also constructed. Results: A total of 254 DEGs, including 72 up-regulated genes and 182 down-regulated genes, were obtained in rosacea samples. The biological functions of DEGs are mainly involved in the inflammatory response and chemokine activity. A PPI network consisting of 217 nodes and 710 edges was constructed using STRING, and ten hub genes were identified with Cytoscape software. Some transcriptional factors were also found to interact with these hub DEGs. Conclusion: In this study, we obtained ten hub genes, including CXCL8, CCR5, CXCR4, CXCL10, MMP9, CD2, CCL19, CXCL9, CCL5, CD3D, which play an essential role in the pathology of rosacea, and these genes may provide a basis for the screening of treatment biomarkers for rosacea in the future.