Identification of differentially expressed genes in Budd-Chiari syndrome by RNA-sequencing

Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) is an uncommon disease characterized by the occlusion or obstruction of hepatic venous outflow. The mechanism of BCS is still unclear and there are no accurate and effective diagnostic or therapeutic tools. In the present study, blood samples from BCS patients and healthy controls were used for RNA-sequencing. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in BCS patients compared with healthy controls were identified. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis and Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) networks construction were performed for DEGs. A total of 405 DEGs including 317 upregulated and 88 downregulated DEGs were identified. The cytosol was the most significantly enriched GO term and the proteasome was also identified as significant enriched pathway. According to the PPI network of 30 DEGs (18 upregulated and 12 downregulated DEGs), synuclein α, tubulin β-2A class IIa and zinc finger protein Gfi-1b (GFIIB) were the three most significant hub proteins. In conclusion, several DEGs including secreted protein acidic and cysteine rich, lipocalin-2, GFI1B and proteasome-associated DEGs may be associated with the pathological process of BCS. These results can provide novel clues for the pathogenesis and provide novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for BCS.