title: Identification of disease-related miRNAs based on co-expression network in spinal cord injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to construct miRNA co-expression network by using miRNA microarray data and screen the miRNAs associated with spinal cord injury (SCI) by comparative analysis, which might be considered as molecule labels for future forecasts or therapies.
  
  
  METHODS
  We first downloaded SCI gene expression data GSE19890 from GEO (Gene Expression Omnibus), then constructed the miRNA co-expression network under three different states and analyzed the topologic attributes of network. After that, miRNAs associated with SCI were screened and subjected to function analysis by DAVID (Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the co-expression network, miR-520a and miR-193b had the largest degree in the SCI and sham groups, respectively. A total of 22 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified. MiR-32 and miR-471 were the most significantly expressed in the SCI group compared with control and sham groups, respectively, which were newly reported to be related to SCI in this study. Function enrichment analysis of the target genes indicated that the screened miRNA were associated with cell adhesion, cytoplasmic vesicle and so on.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MiRNAs identified in this study could be considered targets for SCI diagnosis and therapy.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Orthopedics, the 98nd Hospital of PLA, Huzhou.
authors.forename: Shun Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Jinxin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Lianbing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Dechun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Junming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks / Q000502:physiology; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: co-expression network; miRNA; spinal cord injury