Abstract
BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an urgent point for AD prevention and treatment. The biomarkers of AD still remain indefinite. Based on the bioinformatics analysis of mRNA differential expressions in the brain tissues and the peripheral blood samples of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, we investigated the target mRNAs that could be used as an AD biomarker and developed a new effective, practical clinical examination program. METHODS: We compared the AD peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) expression dataset (GEO accession GSE4226 and GSE18309) with AD brain tissue expression datasets (GEO accessions GSE1297 and GSE5281) from GEO in the present study. The GEO gene database was used to download the appropriate gene expression profiles to analyze the differential mRNA expressions between brain tissue and blood of AD patients and normal elderly. The Venn diagram was used to screen out the differential expression of mRNAs between the brain tissue and blood. The protein-protein interaction network map (PPI) was used to view the correlation between the possible genes. GO (gene ontology) and KEGG (Kyoto Gene and Genomic Encyclopedia) were used for gene enrichment analysis to determine the major affected genes and the function or pathway. RESULTS: Bioinformatics analysis revealed that there were differentially expressed genes in peripheral blood and hippocampus of AD patients. There were 4958 differential mRNAs in GSE18309, 577 differential mRNAs in GSE4226 in AD PBMCs sample, 7464 differential mRNAs in GSE5281, and 317 differential mRNAs in GSE129 in AD brain tissues, when comparing between AD patients and healthy elderly. Two mRNAs of RAB7A and ITGB1 coexpressed in hippocampus and peripheral blood were screened. Furthermore, functions of differential genes were enriched by the PPI network map, GO, and KEGG analysis, and finally the chemotaxis, adhesion, and inflammatory reactions were found out, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: ITGB1 and RAB7A mRNA expressions were both changed in hippocampus and PBMCs, highly suggested being used as an AD biomarker with AD. Also, according to the results of this analysis, it is indicated that we can test the blood routine of the elderly for 2-3 years at a frequency of 6 months or one year. When a patient continuously detects the inflammatory manifestations, it is indicated as a potentially high-risk AD patient for AD prevention.