湿热质人群差异表达基因的筛选及其功能研究

Screening of Differentially Expressed Genes and Their Functions in Damp-Heat Constitution of Chinese Medicine

目的:该研究旨在探讨湿热体质是否存在表达量或种类相异于其他体质类型的基因,从微观水平了解湿热质的本质及其与疾病的关系。方法:根据王琦的9种中医体质分类及判定标准,在健康人群中收集湿热质人和平和质人各8例,空腹抽血,利用表达谱测序技术筛选出表达差异显著的湿热相关基因并初步分析其主要功能路径。结果:共筛选得湿热相关的显著性差异基因共27个,5条富集的信号通路。它们主要与免疫防御,自身免疫性疾病如T1DM、AITD、SLE,肿瘤,类固醇、叶酸代谢,编码结合蛋白与核小体结构蛋白,细胞外基质裂解等相关。结论:湿热质人群的基因表达特点主要体现在免疫防御机能较强,物质代谢紊乱等。因此它对某些自身免疫性及代谢性疾病可能存在患病倾向,也与炎症相关性疾病如肾病等的全程及预后存在较为密切的关系,因而对湿热偏颇体质及早调摄对于疾病预防显得极其重要。

Objective： The purpose of our study was to investigate whether the damp-heat constitution has some difference at the genetic level comparing with other types of constitutions in TCM so as to understand the nature of damp-heat constitution at the micro level and their relationship with disease. Methods： According the 9 kinds of Chinese medicine constitutions classification and decision criteria proposed by WANG Qi,we collected 8 cases of damp-heat constitution and 8 cases of nature consitution from healthy population,and then used gene expression seq to screen the genes with significant differences in damp-heat constitution group and analyze their main functions. Results： In our study,a total of 27 significant different genes related to damp-heat constitution have been found out as well as 5 signaling pathways of enrichment. Most of them are mainly on the immune system,tumor,autoimmune diseases such as T1DM、AITD and SLE. Some of them are related to steroid metabolism,folic acid metabolism,extracellular matrix cracking,code binding protein or nucleosome structure protein,etc. Conclusion： According to our research,damp-heat constitution people really have their own specific genes,which are obvious different from peace-constitutions,particularly in aspects of immune defenses. As a result,damp-heat constitutions may have a tendency on autoimmune disorders and cholesterol metabolism diaease. What＇s more,it may be closely related to the whole process and prognosis of inflammatory disease like kidney. Therefore,it is very important for disease prevention to correct the damp-heat constitution as soon as possible.