Bioinformatics analysis identifies potential diagnostic signatures for coronary artery disease

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. We aimed to screen out potential gene signatures and construct a diagnostic model for CAD. METHOD: We downloaded two mRNA profiles, GSE66360 and GSE60993, and performed analyses of differential expression, gene ontology terms, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. The STRING database was used to identify protein–protein interactions (PPI). PPI network visualization and screening out of key genes were performed using Cytoscape software. Finally, a diagnostic model was constructed. RESULTS: A total of 2127 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in GSE66360, and 527 DEGs in GSE60993. Of the 153 DEGs from both datasets that showed differential expression between CAD patients and controls, 471 biological process terms, 35 cellular component terms, 17 molecular function terms, and 49 KEGG pathways were significantly enriched. The top 20 key genes in the PPI network were identified, and a diagnostic model constructed from five optimal genes that could efficiently separate CAD patients from controls. CONCLUSION: We identified several potential biomarkers for CAD and built a logistic regression model that will provide a valuable reference for future clinical diagnoses and guide therapeutic strategies.