title: [Differential gene expression profiling for identification of potential pathogenic genes and pathways in carotid unstable plaques].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the molecular mechanism in the formation of unstable plaques.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cDNA microarray E-MTAB-2055 was downloaded from ArrayExpress database to screen the differentially expressed genes in 24 ruptured plaques against 24 stable plaques. Functional enrichment analysis was conducted to define the biological processes and pathways involved in disease progression. The protein-protein interaction network was constructed to identify the risk modules with close interactions. Five pairs of carotid specimens were used to validate 3 differentially expressed genes of the risk modules by real-time PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 439 genes showed differential expression in our analysis, including 232 up-regulated and 207 down-regulated genes according to the data filter criteria. Immune-related biological processes and pathways were greatly enriched. The protein-protein interaction network and module analysis suggested that TYROBP, VCL and CXCR4 might play critical roles in the development of unstable plaques, and differential expressions of CXCR4 and TYROBP in carotid plaques were confirmed by real-time PCR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study shows the differential gene expression profile, potential biological processes and signaling pathways involved in the process of plaque rupture. TYROBP may be a new candidate disease gene in the pathogenesis of unstable plaques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Management, Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.E-mail: nwq136737@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Wenqing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Nai
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lanlan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.forename: You
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Hongyuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Shunzhi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhengjun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dai
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000235:genetics; D018450:Disease Progression; D015536:Down-Regulation; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000235:genetics*; D060066:Protein Interaction Maps; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000235:genetics; D059467:Transcriptome; D015854:Up-Regulation; D016596:Vinculin / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; C527276:CXCR4 protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4; C110546:TYROBP protein, human; C488955:VCL protein, human; D016596:Vinculin