Abstract
Background
Obesity is reaching epidemic proportions in the developed world. The biosynthesis and degradation of human glycoproteins take place at the highest level in the liver. However, the association between glycosylation and the factors affecting obesity and metabolism-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is still unclear.
Materials and Methods
Gene expression data of liver samples from obese patients were retrieved from GSE83452 and GSE89632 databases. Difference analysis and machine learning were used to identify hub genes involved in glycosylation and associated with the response of weight loss treatment. A total of 7 glycosylation-related hub genes were identified and then subjected to correlation analysis, immune cells infiltration analysis and ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) analysis. We also evaluated the potential function of 7 hub genes in obesity patients. MASH mice were used to validate the glycosylation-related hub genes.
Results
A total of 25 overlapped glycosylation-related genes were identified by DEGs analysis. ACER2, STX17, ARF5, GPC4, ENTPD5, NANP, and DPY19L2 were identified as hub genes. Among these hub genes, ACER2, STX17, ARF5, and ENTPD5 were also differential expressed in MASH patients. ENTPD5 showed increased transcription in obese MASH mice.
Conclusion
The current study identified seven glycosylation-related genes, ACER2, STX17, ARF5, GPC4, ENTPD5, NANP, and DPY19L2, that might play key roles in the development of obesity. ENTPD5 might play a key role in the development of MASH. These findings provide fresh perspectives for expanding the investigation of obesity and MASH.
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Data Sharing Statement
Raw data of this study are available from the corresponding author Xiujun Cai upon request.
Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate
All methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations. The study is reported in accordance with ARRIVE guidelines, Basel Declaration and the ethical guidelines by the International Council for Laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS). All animal procedures were conducted following the approval of the Zhejiang University Experimental Animal Ethics Committee.
Acknowledgments
Weihua Yu and Jionghuang Chen should be considered as co-first authors. We acknowledge GEO database for providing their platforms and contributors for uploading their meaningful datasets. Our study is based on open-source data, so there are no ethical issues and other conflicts of interest.
Disclosure
The authors declare no conflicts of interest in this work.