Explore potential biomarkers to provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of liver fibrosis with pirfenidone

Hao Li¹,
Xi-Yang Dong¹,
Qin Zhou²,
Zhi-Xiang Ding¹,
Qing-Hai Wang¹ and
De-Hui Li^1,*

Gastroenterology & Hepatology Research 2023;5(3):11

doi: 10.53388/ghr2023-03-075

Published online: September 19, 2023

Author information

Citation: Li H, Dong XY, Zhou Q, Ding ZX, Wang QH, Li DH. Explore potential biomarkers to provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of liver fibrosis with pirfenidone. Gastroenterol & Hepatol Res. 2023;5(3):11. doi: 10.53388/ghr2023-03-075.

Abstract

Background

Hepatic fibrosis is a common chronic liver disease in clinic, the purpose of our study is to explore potential biomarkers to provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of liver fibrosis with pirfenidone.

Methods

We downloaded a gene-sequencing dataset and a single-cell dataset from the GEO database and pirfenidone target genes from three different databases. First, we performed GO, KEGG, and DO analysis on pirfenidone target genes. Then, we grouped the liver tissue sequencing data (GSE162694) in the sequencing data set (N-F0 group and F1-F4 group) and performed gene expression differential analysis on these two groups, weighted gene co-expression network analysis and gene Enrichment analysis. Finally, we intersected the significantly upregulated genes in the F1-F4 group with the pirfenidone target genes and performed PPI network analysis. In order to further explore the expression of both pirfenidone drug target genes and liver fibrosis disease genes (PDLFG) in different immune cells of liver tissue, we used the CD45+ cell data in the GSE136103 data set for further analysis.

Results

A subnetwork consisting of CDC42, HNF4A, BHLHE40, CCDC71L, NR1H3, TNF, MGLL, GPT, SCD and PLIN1 was screened out, and by analysis, we finally identified the SCD as PDLFG. In single-cell sequencing analysis, we found that SCD was highly expressed in M2-polarized macrophages.

Conclusion

SCD may be an important target protein to inhibit the progression of liver fibrosis.

Keywords

hepatic fibrosis, pirfenidone target genes, biomarker, GSEA, WGCNA, single cell sequencing analysis

Copyright © 2025 Authors. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License (CC BY-NC 4.0), permitting all non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

About this Article

Cite this article

Li H, Dong XY, Zhou Q, Ding ZX, Wang QH, Li DH. Explore potential biomarkers to provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of liver fibrosis with pirfenidone. Gastroenterol & Hepatol Res. 2023;5(3):11. doi: 10.53388/ghr2023-03-075.

Copy

Export to RIS

Export to EndNote

Article History

Received	Revised	Accepted	Published
			September 19, 2023

DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.53388/ghr2023-03-075

117 Article Accesses	Citation counts are provided from Dimensions. The counts may vary by service, and are reliant on the availability of their data. Counts will update daily once available.
47 PDF Download