Circular RNA and Messenger RNA Expression Profile and Competing Endogenous RNA Network in Subchondral Bone in Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head.

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a common and destructive orthopedic disease, of which the pathogenesis mechanism remains elusive. Limited studies have been conducted to investigate the role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in subchondral bone in ONFH. This study aimed to profile differential expression of circRNAs and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in subchondral bone obtained from ONFH patients by next-generation sequencing, and explore the potential regulatory relationship of these molecules in ONFH by bioinformatics analysis. As a result, we detected 74 aberrantly expressed circRNAs and 121 differentially expressed mRNAs. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses indicated several vital biological processes and signaling pathways, which are primarily related to osteogenic capacity influenced by osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Furthermore, attempting construction of protein-protein interaction network with 57 aberrant genes and competing endogenous RNA network with 3 selected circRNAs preliminarily revealed the regulatory roles and the relationships of these molecules in ONFH. In addition, the potential association of circRNAs in our networks with the molecular mechanism of ONFH was validated by real time-quantitative PCR. In conclusion, our findings may promote understanding the mechanism of ONFH, and offer a novel insight into early diagnosis and intervention of ONFH.