Identification of Copper and Iron Metabolism Related Biomarkers in Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder. Recent studies have demonstrated that the dysregulated metabolism of metal ions, particularly copper and iron imbalance in the brains of AD patients,  is closely associated with the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Based on GEO database and GeneCards database, this study screened and identified 1191 AD-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs), as well as 671 and 682 genes highly associated with copper and iron metabolism. The intersection analysis yielded 26 differentially expressed copper- and iron-related genes (DECIGs). GO and KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that most of them were involved in cellular energy metabolism. PPI network analysis identified 12 hub genes, five of which had AUC values greater than 0.8, indicating strong diagnostic potential. qRT-PCR validation revealed that three hub genes (GOT1, LDHA, and UQCRFS1) showed significant differences in the expression levels between the AD and the control group. The multigene diagnostic model based on the three genes exhibited considerable diagnostic value.