Gene expression analysis: Regulation of key genes associated with mycophenolate mofetil treatment of symptomatic carotid artery stenosis

The present study analyzed gene expression arrays to identify differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) between mycophenolate mofetil (MMF)-treated and placebo-treated patients with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis (SCAS). In addition, the key genes involved in the pharmacology of MMF treatment in patients with SCAS were identified. The gene expression dataset was obtained from a Gene Expression Omnibus database, which included 9 MMF-treated and 11 placebo-treated samples. The DEGs were identified between MMF and placebo groups using R software. Furthermore, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the identified DEGS was constructed. The Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery was used to perform Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses of the 19 most significant DEGs. A total of 210 DEGs between the MMF and placebo groups were screened and their PPI was constructed. GO function analysis revealed that the 19 DEGs were predominantly involved in the tyrosine phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription-5 protein, which is closely associated with the activation of T cells. The KEGG pathway analysis suggested that the main metabolic pathways of the 19 DEGs were associated with the pharmacological functioning of MMF in activated T cells. In conclusion, the present study identified numerous key DEGs associated with SCAS, and the results suggested that v-kit Hardy-Zuckerman 4 feline sarcoma viral oncogene homolog and apelin may serve important roles in the MMF treatment of SCAS.