Bioinformatic investigation for candidate genes and molecular mechanism in the pathogenesis of membranous nephropathy

We aimed to explore the detailed molecular mechanism of immune-associated genes in membranous nephropathy (MN).A microarray data set (GSE133288) was retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed mRNAs (DEMs) in MN vs control groups were identified, and MN-related DEMs (MN-DEMs) were further verified and screened using the comparative toxicogenomics database (CTD) database. The publicly available database, InnateDB was used to investigate immune genes, and the overlapped genes between MN-DEMs and the immune genes were considered as MN-related immune genes (iDEMs). A protein-protein interaction network (PPI) was constructed based on these iDEMs, followed by function and pathway enrichment analysis. Finally, microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) associated with iDEMs were predicted, followed by a lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA (competing endogenous RNAs, ceRNA) network construction.A total of 327 DEMs and 48 iDEMs were revealed; a PPI network was constructed with 100 PPI pairs and 37 iDEMs. iDEMs including JUN and FOS were mainly enriched in pathways such as osteoclast differentiation and function including response to immobilization stress, respectively. Based on mRNA-associated miRNA and lncRNA prediction, 30 ceRNA interactions including KCNQ1OT1-miR-204-5p-SRY-Box Transcription Factor 4 (SOX4) were explored.mRNAs including FOS and JUN might participate in MN development via response to immobilization stress function and the osteoclast differentiation pathway. The mRNA SOX4 might contribute to MN progression via sponging KCNQ1OT1-miR-204-5p interaction.