Identification of differentially expressed genes and signalling pathways related to ovarian endometriosis based on integrated bioinformatic analysis

Purpose Endometriosis is a common gynaecological disease; however, the specific mechanism and the key molecules involved in endometriosis have not been elucidated. This study aimed to identify key genes associated with poor prognosis and further uncover underlying mechanisms. Methods Data regarding mRNA expression profiles used in this study were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and a total of three mRNA expression profiles were included in subsequent analyses (GSE31515, GSE58178 and GSE120103). We divided all differentially expressed genes (DEGs) into up-regulated and down-regulated groups. Then, we conducted Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis using R software.Results A total of 304 DEGs were identified between endometriosis tissues and normal endometrium tissues using integrated analysis, including 185 up-regulated genes and 119 down-regulated genes. GO analysis revealed that the up-regulated DEGs of endometriosis were closely associated with voltage-gated calcium channel activity, whereas the down-regulated DEGs were enriched in uterus development. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis indicated that the up-regulated DEGs were mainly involved in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, whereas down-regulated DEGs were enriched in protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum. In addition, PPIs of these DEGs were visualized using the Cytoscape platform and the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING). PPI analysis identified 10 potential DEG-related protein targets, including CCND1, IL6, CCL2, COL1A2, PTGS2, VCAM1, COL3A1, ELN, SERPINE1, and HSP90B1. Conclusion In conclusion, the present study reveals that voltage-gated calcium channel activity, uterus development, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum may be involved in the development of endometriosis. In addition, these identified DEGs may exhibit clinical significance for the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis.