Guangxing Tan, Chenxia Juan, Yan Mao, Gang Xue, Zhuyuan Fang
Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Wuxi Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine. Yangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
China
American Chemical Society Omega
ACS Omega 2024; 9: 37923-37933
DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c04307
Abstract
In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis to identify key genes and pathways associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and investigated the role of delta-like ligand 4 (DLL4) in PAH pathogenesis. Through integrated analysis of multiple data sets, we identified 6 candidate differentially expressed genes (DEGs), notably DLL4, which showed the highest distinguishing efficiency between PAH and control samples. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses revealed the involvement of DLL4 in critical biological processes and pathways related to PAH, including notch signaling, immune cell function, and inflammatory responses. Further investigation demonstrated that decreased DLL4 expression correlated with increased M2 macrophage polarization, suggesting a potential role for DLL4 in preventing M2 differentiation. Additionally, the DLL4/Notch1 axis was found to influence the Notch profile and regulate signaling mediators during M2 differentiation. These findings highlight DLL4 as a promising biomarker and therapeutic target for PAH, shedding light on the underlying molecular mechanisms and providing insights for the development of novel treatment strategies.
Category
Genetic Factors Associated with Pulmonary Vascular Disease
Potential Biomarkers Associated with Pulmonary Vascular Disease
Vascular Cell Biology and Mechanisms of Pulmonary Vascular Disease
Age Focus: Pediatric Pulmonary Vascular Disease or Adult Pulmonary Vascular Disease
Fresh or Filed Publication: Fresh (PHresh). Less than 1-2 years since publication
Article Access
Free PDF File or Full Text Article Available Through PubMed or DOI: Yes