title: Candidate pathways and genes for nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on bioinformatics study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To reveal the potential microRNAs (miRNAs), genes, pathways and regulatory network involved in the process of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) by using the method of bioinformatics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Gene expression profiles GSE12452 (31 NPC and 10 normal samples) and GSE53819 (18 NPC and 18 normal samples), as well as miRNA expression profiles GSE32960 (312 NPC and 18 normal samples) and GSE36682 (62 NPC and 6 normal samples) were obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus database. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) between NPC and normal samples were identified by using t-test based on MATLAB software (FDR < 0.01), followed by pathway enrichment analysis based on DAVID software (P-value < 0.1). Then, DEmiRNA-DEG regulatory network was constructed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1254 DEGs and 107 DEmiRNAs were identified, respectively. Then, 16 pathways (including cell cycle) and 32 pathways (including pathways in cancer) were enriched by DEGs and target genes of DEmiRNAs, respectively. Furthermore, DEmiRNA-DEG regulatory network was constructed, containing 12 DEmiRNAs (including has-miR-615-3P) and 180 DEGs (including MCM4 and CCNE2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  has-miR-615-3p might take part in the pathogenetic process of NPC through regulating MCM4 which is enriched in cell cycle. The DEmiRNAs identified in the present study might serve as new biomarkers for NPC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Wuhan University, Renmin Hospital Wuhan 430060, Hubei Provine, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jinhui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Wuhan University, Renmin Hospital Wuhan 430060, Hubei Provine, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Wuhan University, Renmin Hospital Wuhan 430060, Hubei Provine, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Wuhan University, Renmin Hospital Wuhan 430060, Hubei Provine, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yongping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D019295:Computational Biology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; differentially expressed genes; microRNAs; pathway enrichment; regulatory network