[Application of bioinformatics tools in analysis of differentially expressed genes in oral submucosal fibrosis].

OBJECTIVE

To apply the bioinformatics tools for analyzing the differentially expressed genes in oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) to obtain the implied biological significance.

METHODS

By using DAVID and Onto-express bioinformatic tools, 865 differentially expressed genes in OSF were analyzed and the analysis of chromosome location, gene ontology (GO) and genetic-association diseases were performed.

RESULTS

A majority of the differentially expressed genes were located on chromosome 1,2,5,6,7,11,12 (P < 0.01). GO classification of the differentially expressed genes identified the biological process subgroups, including genes involved in immune response, defense response and so on. The cellular component subgroups were associated with extracellular matrix, cytoskeleton and membrane, molecular function subgroups related to protein binding, extracellular matrix structural constituent and signal transducer activity. The diseases genetically associated with these genes included infection, immune and cardiovascular diseases.

CONCLUSIONS

Bioinformatics can provide the quick and parallel analysis of massive data got from gene microarrays and enable the function classification of the differentially expressed genes, which provides new ideas on the research of pathogenesis and epidemiology of OSF.