New insights about host response to smallpox using microarray data.
BACKGROUND
Smallpox is a lethal disease that was endemic in many parts of the world until eradicated by massive immunization. Due to its lethality, there are serious concerns about its use as a bioweapon. Here we analyze publicly available microarray data to further understand survival of smallpox infected macaques, using systems biology approaches. Our goal is to improve the knowledge about the progression of this disease.


RESULTS
We used KEGG pathways annotations to define groups of genes (or modules), and subsequently compared them to macaque survival times. This technique provided additional insights about the host response to this disease, such as increased expression of the cytokines and ECM receptors in the individuals with higher survival times. These results could indicate that these gene groups could influence an effective response from the host to smallpox.


CONCLUSIONS
Macaques with higher survival times clearly express some specific pathways previously unidentified using regular gene-by-gene approaches. Our work also shows how third party analysis of public datasets can be important to support new hypotheses to relevant biological problems.
Esteves
Gustavo H
GH
BIOINFO, Instituto de Matemática e Estatística, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil. gesteves@vision.ime.usp.br
Simoes
Ana C Q
AC
Souza
Estevao
E
Dias
Rodrigo A
RA
Ospina
Raydonal
R
Venancio
Thiago M
TM
D000818:Animals; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000235:genetics; D003198:Computer Simulation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008251:Macaca / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D012899:Smallpox / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology; D015996:Survival Rate; D049490:Systems Biology
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D016207:Cytokines
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