title: Key genes and pathways in thyroid cancer based on gene set enrichment analysis.
abstract: The incidence of thyroid cancer and its associated morbidity has shown the most rapid increase among all cancers since 1982, but the mechanisms involved in thyroid cancer, particularly significant key genes induced in thyroid cancer, remain undefined. In many studies, gene probes have been used to search for key genes involved in causing and facilitating thyroid cancer. As a result, many possible virulence genes and pathways have been identified. However, these studies lack a case contrast for selecting the most possible virulence genes and pathways, as well as conclusive results with which to clarify the mechanisms of cancer development. In the present study, we used gene set enrichment and meta-analysis to select key genes and pathways. Based on gene set enrichment, we identified 5 downregulated and 4 upregulated mixed pathways in 6 tissue datasets. Based on the meta-analysis, there were 17 common pathways in the tissue datasets. One pathway, the p53 signaling pathway, which includes 13 genes, was identified by both the gene set enrichment analysis and meta-analysis. Genes are important elements that form key pathways. These pathways can induce the development of thyroid cancer later in life. The key pathways and genes identified in the present study can be used in the next stage of research, which will involve gene elimination and other methods of experimentation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wenwu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Qiuxi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Chuansen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xian
authors.forename: Mingwu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods*; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D052138:Genes, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*