A bioinformatics-based approach and expression assay for identification of dysregulated genes in pituitary adenoma

Elena Jamali; Mohammad Amin Hashemnejad; Arian Askari; Hanieh Shomali; Solat Eslami; Nader Akbari Dilmaghani; Guive Sharifi; Arefe Bahranian; Soudeh Ghafouri-Fard

doi:10.1016/j.prp.2023.155006

A bioinformatics-based approach and expression assay for identification of dysregulated genes in pituitary adenoma

Pathol Res Pract. 2024 Jan:253:155006. doi: 10.1016/j.prp.2023.155006. Epub 2023 Nov 30.

Authors

Elena Jamali¹, Mohammad Amin Hashemnejad², Arian Askari³, Hanieh Shomali⁴, Solat Eslami⁵, Nader Akbari Dilmaghani⁶, Guive Sharifi⁶, Arefe Bahranian⁶, Soudeh Ghafouri-Fard⁷

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Human Genetics, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
² Clinical Research Developmental Unit (CRDU) of Shahid Rajaei Hospital, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran.
³ Phytochemistry Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁴ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Islamic Azad University Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran.
⁵ Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran.
⁶ Skull Base Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁷ Department of Medical Genetics, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Electronic address: s.ghafourifard@sbmu.ac.ir.

PMID: 38056134
DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2023.155006

Abstract

Non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs) are a group of pituitary neuroendocrine tumors that are associated with morbidity. The exact pathophysiological process leading to this pathology is not known. Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a neurotropic factor that might be involved in this process. We used bioinformatics tools to analyze expression of genes in NFPA samples. Our analyses led to identification of NGF-related genes, namely ARC, ID1, and SH3GL3 - as well as one long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) called myocardial infarction associated transcript (MIAT). Then, we assessed their expression in NFPAs and their adjacent non-cancerous samples. While expression levels of SH3GL3 and MIAT were different between NFPA samples and control samples, expressions of ARC and ID1 were not meaningfully different between these two groups of specimens. SH3GL3 was over-expressed in NFPA samples compared with control samples (expression ratio (95% CI)= 8.22 (1.51-44.6), P value= 0.03). Similarly, expression of MIAT was higher in NFPAs compared with controls (expression ratio (95% CI)= 7.7 (1.7-33.6), P value= 0.009). Taken together, we validated the bioinformatics results regarding the expression of SH3GL3 and MIAT. This study provides a deeper understanding of the involvement of these genes in the pituitary tumorigenesis.

Keywords: Expression; NGF; Pituitary adenoma; lncRNA.

MeSH terms

Adenoma* / pathology
Humans
Nerve Growth Factor
Pituitary Neoplasms* / pathology
RNA, Long Noncoding* / genetics

Substances

Nerve Growth Factor
RNA, Long Noncoding