Screening Key Differentially Expressed Genes in Kawasaki Disease via Integrated Analysis

The current study was done to identify key genes associated with Kawasaki disease (KD).

Three datasets were collected from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Then, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) analysis, gene ontology (GO) annotation, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment were performed. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to determine the expression levels of DEGs in KD. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to assess the diagnostic value of DEGs.

In total, 2923 DEGs (1239 up- and 1684 down-regulated genes) were detected in KD. Ribosome, Leishmaniasis, and Tuberculosis significantly enriched KEGG pathways of DEGs. Six DEGs, including ADM, S100A12, ZNF438, MYD88, FCGR2A, and FCGR3B, were selected for qRT-PCR validation. Except for MYD88, the qRT-PCR results displayed similar expression patterns with that in our integrated analysis. ROC analysis revealed the diagnostic value of the six DEGs.

Our study was expected to provide clues toward understanding the pathophysiology of KD inflammation.