Genetic analysis of potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets in ferroptosis from psoriasis

IntroductionFerroptosis is associated with multiple pathophysiological processes. Inhibition of ferroptosis has received much concern for some diseases. Nonetheless, there is no study comprehensively illustrating functions of ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) in psoriasis. MethodsIn this study, FRGs together with psoriasis-associated data were obtained in Ferroptosis Database (FerrDb) and gene expression omnibus (GEO) database separately. This work identified altogether 199 psoriasis-associated DE-FRGs, and they were tightly associated with immunity and autophagy modulation. Thereafter, the present study utilized SVM-RFE and LASSO algorithms to identify NR5A2, CISD1, GCLC, PRKAA2, TRIB2, ABCC5, ACSF2, TIMM9, DCAF7, PEBP1, and MDM2 from those 199 DE-FRGs to be marker genes. As revealed by later functional annotation, the marker genes possibly had important effects on psoriasis through being involved in diverse psoriasis pathogenesis-related pathways such as cell cycle, toll-like receptor (TLR), chemokine, and nod-like receptor (NLR) pathways. Moreover, altogether 37 drugs that targeted 11 marker genes were acquired. Besides, based on CIBERSORT analysis, alterations of immune microenvironment in psoriasis cases were possibly associated with PRKAA2, PEBP1, CISD1, and ACSF2. DiscussionTaken together, this work established the diagnostic potency and shed more lights on psoriasis-related mechanism. More investigations are warranted to validate its value in diagnosing psoriasis before it is applied in clinic.

Automated summary

In this study, the Ferroptosis Database and the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database were used to identify ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) and psoriasis-associated data. A total of 199 psoriasis-associated DE-FRGs were identified, and they were closely associated with immune and autophagy modulation. Functional annotation revealed that these marker genes may have important effects on psoriasis through involvement in various psoriasis pathogenesis-related pathways. Moreover, 37 drugs targeting these marker genes were identified. Furthermore, alterations in the immune microenvironment in psoriasis cases were potentially associated with certain marker genes.