همایش ملی بیوانفورماتیک ایران

صفحه اصلی / 4th international edition and 13th Iranian Conference on Bioinformatics

Molecular Interactions Between Vitiligo and Thyroid Diseases: Identification of Hub Genes, Pathways and Therapeutic miRNAs

نویسندگان :

Fatemeh Akbarzadeh-Ebrahimi¹

1- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Nanotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

کلمات کلیدی :

Vitiligo،Thyroid،PPI network،Gene Ontology،miRNA

چکیده :

Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by the loss of skin pigmentation due to the destruction of melanocytes (Bhange et al.). Thyroid diseases are prevalent endocrine disorders that can significantly impact health (Cohen et al., 2023). The relationship between vitiligo and thyroid diseases is well-documented, with studies indicating a strong association between vitiligo and autoimmune thyroid disorders such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease. This association is attributed to shared autoimmune mechanisms, including genetic predispositions and oxidative stress, which contribute to the destruction of both melanocytes and thyrocytes (Chen et al., 2024; Sandru et al., 2021). Understanding the molecular interactions between these diseases can provide insights into their pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets. Initially, common proteins related to the disorders vitiligo and thyroid were investigated in various gene-disease databases. To discover important hub genes, build a Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network for common proteins achieved via Cytoscape software. Enrichment analysis of biological pathways and processes (Gene ontology and KEGG) was performed using Enrichr. Subsequently, we explored the therapeutic potential of microRNAs (miRNAs) targeting critical hub proteins implicated in vitiligo and thyroid disorders, utilizing databases such as miRNet, miRBase, and TargetScan. Key genes were validated through literature mining, and their interactions were confirmed. The analysis identified several hub genes, including TP53, STAT1, IL6, TNF, STAT3, and PTPN22 which exhibited significant interactions within the network. These genes often play critical roles in inflammation, apoptosis and immune response. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed critical pathways such as autoimmune dysregulation, inflammatory pathways, apoptosis, JAK-STAT signaling, and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. Target miRNAs for these hub genes were also identified, including miR-125b, miR-146a, and miR-21 that the highest relation with hub proteins related to two conditions. This study provides a comprehensive computational analysis of the common molecular mechanisms underlying vitiligo and thyroid disorders. The identified hub genes, enriched pathways, and potential miRNA regulators offer valuable targets for further exploration and validation, ultimately contributing to a better understanding of disease pathogenesis and the identification of shared therapeutic avenues.