Expression of m7G RNA methylation regulators in osteoarthritis and their predictive markers

Abstract

Abstract Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is a multifactorial disease that places an increasing burden on modern society. Synovial inflammation plays an important role in osteoarthritis. Therefore, new approaches or techniques for the diagnosis of OA are urgently needed. 7-methylguanosine (m7G) is one of the most common forms of base modification in post-transcriptional regulation. Studies have reported that m7G is involved in the development of different diseases. However, the function of m7G RNA methylation regulators in synovial tissue remains unclear, and the expression and predictive value of m7G RNA methylation regulators are rarely reported. So new studies are needed to fill this gap. Methods Firstly, 40 m7G RNA methylation-related genes were selected from the four pathways of the Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) database and compared with the GSE55457 dataset in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to obtain gene expression profiles and clinical information. And 25 related genes were obtained. These genes were analyzed for functional enrichment, protein-protein interactions (PPI), and correlation among regulators. Six differential genes were also selected after the differential analysis of the 25 m7G RNA methylation-related regulators in OA and normal patients. The expression of differential genes in OA patients and the correlation between regulators were analyzed. Finally, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and the area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of m7G related genes in distinguishing OA patients from healthy population. Results We found that these genes are mainly involved in RNA metabolism, RNA cap binding, and the formation of RNA cap-binding complexes, and that the regulation of RNA cap formation has a strong impact on gene regulation. Then we identified 6 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in 25 genes between OA and normal people, confirming for the first time that SNUPN and NUDT11 were associated with early diagnosis and prediction of OA. Conclusions The regulators of m7G RNA methylation play a crucial role in the advancement of OA and hold promise in terms of prognosis. However, the clinical effects of these biomarkers on OA need further study.