Affiliations: [a] Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei, China | [b] Department of Blood Transfusion, Neimenggu Xinganleague People's Hospital, Wulanhaote, Inner Mongolia, China | [c] Clinical Medical College of Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei, China
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Ai-Min Zhang, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, No.108, Hongxing Road, Baoding 071000, Hebei, China. E-mail:aiminzhang2015@yeah.net
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Rectal cancer is an important contributor to cancer
mortality. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to identify
key genes across three phenotypes (fungating, polypoid and polypoid &
small-ulcer) of rectal cancer based on multiple differential expression
networks (DENs). METHODS: Differential interactions and non-differential
interactions were evaluated according to Spearman correlation coefficient
(SCC) algorithm, and were selected to construct DENs. Topological analysis
was performed for exploring hub genes in largest components of DENs. Key
genes were denoted as intersections between nodes of DENs and rectal cancer
associated genes from Genecards. Finally, we utilized hub genes to classify
phenotypes of rectal cancer on the basis of support vector machines (SVM)
methodology. RESULTS: We obtained 19 hub genes and total 12 common key genes of
three largest components of DENs, and EGFR was the common element. The SVM
results revealed that hub genes could classify phenotypes, and validated
feasibility of DEN methods. CONCLUSIONS: We have successfully identified significant genes
(such as EGFR and UBC) across fungating, polypoid and polypoid & small-ulcer
phenotype of rectal cancer. They might be potential biomarkers for
classification, detection and therapy of this cancer.
