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

Abstract

Abstract 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.