Identification of key extracellular proteins as the potential biomarkers in thyroid eye disease

Abstract

Background Thyroid eye disease (TED) is one of the most common autoimmune orbital diseases in adults. The early diagnosis and effective treatment of TED is a worldwide problem. Extracellular proteins may act as indicators in bodily fluids. Our research sought to identify the roles of extracellular proteins and possible biomarkers in TED using a bioinformatics study. Methods Data from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were acquired to create the TED expression profiles. The annotation database screened extracellular proteins with differentially expressed genes (EP-DEGs). To investigate both the function and the route of EP-DEGs, GO and KEGG were utilized. Hub genes and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks among EP-DEGs were discovered. Key EP-DEGs’ diagnostic potency was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results 102 EP-DEGs underwent screening. The extracellular matrix, which contains collagen, the receptor-ligand activity, the interaction between cytokines and their receptors, and the complement and coagulation cascades route, were all enhanced in EP-DEGs. The EP-DEG PPI network contained 233 edges and 78 nodes. We discovered 21 extracellular proteins that interacted with EGFR in addition to 3 major extracellular proteins, EGFR, CD44, and CXCL8, all of which had significant values of AUC (> 0.7). Conclusions In conclusion, EGFR, CD44, and CXCL8 may be the potential biomarker in the TED. this research gives us a theoretical foundation for understanding how TED pathogenesis occurs.