title: Vitamin D receptor, an important transcription factor associated with aldosterone-producing adenoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the endocrine mechanisms of aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) by using the microarray expression profiles of normal and APA samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  The gene expression profile GSE8514 was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database, including samples from normal adrenals (n = 5) and APAs (n = 10). The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by samr package and endocrine DEGs were obtained according to Clinical Genome Database. Then, functional enrichment analysis of screened DEGs was performed by DAVID (Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery). Finally, a regulatory network was constructed to screen endocrine genes related with adrenal dysfunction and pathway enrichment analysis for the constructed network was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 2149 DEGs were identified including 379 up- and 1770 down-regulated genes. And 26 endocrine genes were filtered from the DEGs. Furthermore, the down-regulated DEGs are mainly related to protein kinase cascade, response to molecule of bacterial origin, response to lipopolysaccharide, cellular macromolecule catabolic process and macromolecule catabolic process, while the up-regulated DEGs are related with regulation of ion transport. The target genes of VDR (vitamin D receptor), one of the three endocrine genes differentially expressed in the regulatory network, were endocrine genes including CYP24A1 (25-hydroxyvitamin D-24-hydroxylase) and PTH (parathyroid hormone). Three pathways may be associated with APA pathogenesis including cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, pathways in cancer and autoimmune thyroid disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The VDR is the most significant transcription factor and related endocrine genes might play important roles in the endocrine mechanisms of APA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Changlong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: FengHe (ShangHai) Information Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China ; Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai ,China.
authors.forename: Lishan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Yingqi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Zhifeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China ; Heilongjiang Provincial Science and Technology Innovation Team in Higher Education Institutes for Infection and Immunity, Harbin Medical University, Harbin , China ; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Infection and Immunity, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Aixia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhai
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000235:genetics*; D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D000328:Adult; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D063990:Gene Ontology; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D006801:Humans; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000235:genetics*; D059467:Transcriptome; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D000450:Aldosterone