Exploration of Potential Biomarkers and Mechanisms for COVID-19 and Asthma Based on Microarray Analysis

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate the potential mechanisms of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and asthma comorbidities. Methods: GSE147507 and GSE143303 datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, the differential expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, and the overlapping DEGs were obtained by determining the DEG intersection between the two datasets. A series of analyses of the shared DEGs were performed, including enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction, construction of transcription factor (TF)/microRNA (miRNA)-gene interaction networks, drug-gene and disease-gene interactions, and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis. Results: A total of 135 overlapping DEGs were obtained by determining the DEGs intersection between the GSE147507 and GSE143303 datasets. These overlapped DEGs were significantly enriched in the regulation of DNA-templated transcription, initiation, clathrin-sculpted gamma-aminobutyric acid transport vesicle, DNA binding, and eight KEGG (kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes) pathways. The PPI network revealed that HSPA8, SRSF1, NDUFAB1, PTEN, CCT8, HIST1H2BK, HIST2H2BE, DLAT, EIF3G, and WAC, with high scores, were the hub genes. In addition, 65 TFs (transcription factors) and 369 miRNAs targeted overlapping DEGs. Finally, these overlapped DEGs were also related to other diseases, such as hyperglycemia, metabolic acidosis, and lung neoplasm, and the top 10 drugs with the most significant potential included lanatoside C, digoxin, GW-8510, doxorubicin, daunorubicin, proscillaridin, anisomycin, helveticoside, ouabain, and bisacodyl. The ROC analysis results shown that these hub genes had good diagnostic performance. Conclusions: HSPA8, SRSF1, NDUFAB1, PTEN, CCT8, HIST1H2BK, HIST2H2BE, DLAT, EIF3G, WAC, FOXC1, GATA2, hsa-miR-93-5p, and hsa-miR-17-5p may play vital roles in COVID-19 (corona virus disease-2019)/asthma comorbidity. Lanatoside C, digoxin, GW-8510, doxorubicin, daunorubicin, proscillaridin, anisomycin, helveticoside, ouabain, and bisacodyl may serve as drug targets against COVID-19/asthma comorbidity.