Differential Gene Expression Profiling in Alveolar Echinococcosis Identifies Potential Biomarkers Associated With Angiogenesis

BACKGROUND: Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a worldwide zoonosis caused by Echinococcus multilocularis. Alveolar echinococcosis is a severe chronic parasitic disease that exhibits a tumor-like growth, with the potential for invasion and distant metastasis; however, the molecular mechanism underlying this condition remains unclear. METHODS: Transcriptome analyses were performed to detect differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in samples from patients with AE with invasion and distant metastasis. The results were further verified by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: A total of 1796 DEGs were identified, including 1742 upregulated and 54 downregulated DEGs. A subsequent functional analysis showed that the significant DEGs were involved in the angiogenesis process. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the reliability of the transcriptomic data. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that angiogenesis is a possible mechanism underlying the tumor-like biological behavior observed during E multilocularis infection. Genes related to this process may play important roles in AE invasion and distant metastasis.