Subacromial bursa in patients with rotator cuff tear with or without adhesive capsulitis exhibits a differential transcriptome with potential molecular biomarkers

Qiuyuan Wang; Feng Zhou; Pingcheng Xu; Lingying Zhao; Jiong Jiong Guo

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30512

Subacromial bursa in patients with rotator cuff tear with or without adhesive capsulitis exhibits a differential transcriptome with potential molecular biomarkers

Heliyon. 2024 Apr 30;10(9):e30512. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30512. eCollection 2024 May 15.

Authors

Qiuyuan Wang¹, Feng Zhou¹, Pingcheng Xu^{1

2}, Lingying Zhao^{3

4}, Jiong Jiong Guo^{1

4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.
² Department of Orthopedics, Suzhou Wujiang District Fourth People's Hospital, Suzhou, PR China.
³ Department of Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, PR China.
⁴ Jiangsu Institute of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Thrombosis and Hemostasis of Ministry of Health of PR China, Suzhou, PR China.
⁵ China-Europe Sports Medicine Belt-and-Road Joint Laboratory, Ministry of Education of PR China, PR China.

Abstract

Background: Although adhesive capsulitis (AC) is a common condition, the pathological mechanisms remain understudied. The purpose of our research was to evaluate variations in gene expression across the entire genome in the subacromial bursa tissue of individuals with rotator cuff tears (RCT), with or without AC, and to explore the factors that may influence the occurrence and progression of AC.

Methods: Transcription profiles of subacromial bursa samples from 12 RCT patients, of whom 6 had also AC, were evaluated. Data were generated using RNA-seq. DESeq2 was utilized to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in both groups. In order to conduct a more in-depth examination of the DEGs, we performed Gene Ontology (GO) functional enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. A network of interactions between proteins was built, and the central genes were determined using Cytoscape. The hub genes were confirmed through qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry.

Results: 324 of the 16,251 detected genes were identified as DEGs. Analysis of GO functional enrichment showed that the DEGs were enriched in domains of biological process, molecule function and cellular component. Analysis of KEGG pathways revealed enrichment of DEGs in pathways like IL-17 signaling and ECM-receptor interaction. We verified that the association between AC and the increase in expression of the PPI network hub genes.

Conclusion: This study investigated the transcriptome differences of subacromial bursa in RCT patients with or without AC. Using bioinformatics technology, we identified the DEGs and screened out the hub genes. The research enhanced the data on gene expression profiles of DEGs in the subacromial bursa tissue of patients with RCT, offering fresh perspectives on the regulation of gene transcription.

Keywords: Adhesive capsulitis; RNA-Seq; Rotator cuff tear; Subacromial bursa.