Identification of Hypoxia-related genes in Human Myocardial infarction and Cancers

Myocardial infarction (MI) and cancer collectively account for over 50% of global mortality. Recent studies have revealed multiple associations between these two diseases, including chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, with a particular focus on hypoxia-mediated signaling pathways. In ischemic myocardium, oxygen deprivation triggers apoptosis, fibrosis, and pathological tissue reorganization, in the tumor microenvironment (TME), hypoxia drives angiogenesis, metabolic reprogramming, and immune evasion. Therefore, identifying hypoxia-related differentially expressed genes in MI may provide potential therapeutic targets for both conditions. Sequencing data from MI patients were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using the "limma" package in R.Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was then employed to screen for a set of potential hub genes associated with hypoxia. Functional enrichment analysis was performed on these hub genes. The expression levels and stability of the hub genes were subsequently validated in a new dataset. Finally, transcriptional regulatory analysis and immune infiltration analysis were conducted for the hub genes, and their expression levels and prognostic values in various cancers were evaluated. In MI samples, nine genes, namely Immediate Early Response 3 (IER3), Heme Oxygenase 1 (HMOX1), Cyclin Dependent Kinase Inhibitor 1A (CDKN1A), Plasminogen Activator Urokinase Receptor (PLAUR), MAF BZIP Transcription Factor F (MAFF), Solute Carrier Family 2 Member 3 (SLC2A3), Jun Proto-Oncogene (JUN), Transforming Growth Factor Beta Induced (TGFBI), and 6-Phosphofructo-2-Kinase/Fructose-2,6-Biphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3), were found to be significantly dysregulated and were closely associated with the occurrence of various cancers. Pan-cancer analysis further revealed that these genes are correlated with cancer prognosis. Immune analysis also observed their associations with resting CD4+ memory T cells and Gamma Delta T cells in TME. IER3, HMOX1, CDKN1A, PLAUR, MAFF, SLC2A3, JUN, TGFBI, and PFKFB3 are potential biomarkers for MI and cancer. Research on hypoxia-related genes (HRGs) may provide new therapeutic targets for these two diseases.