Biochemical Pathway and Protein-Network Analysis of Dental Caries Based on Systems Biology Approaches

Background: Tooth decay (TD) is a multifactorial disorder, and several factors are involved in its etiology. Objective: The present study aimed to unravel the main genes and molecular mechanisms underlying TD. Methods: The dataset GSE۱۶۲۹ in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was analyzed to uncover differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in patients with TD compared to patients with sound teeth. A protein-protein interaction network was built, and the most important clusters, hub genes, transcription factors (TFs), and protein kinases involved in the regulation of TFs were disclosed. Signaling pathways and Gene Ontology terms dysregulated in TD were also identified. Results: A total of ۱۹۶ DEGs were determined (false discovery rate<۰.۰۰۱; |Log۲ fold change|>۱). PTPRC, ITGB۲, TYROBP, MMP۹, CXCL۸, CD۴۴, CCL۲, C۱QB, C۳, and SPP۱ were considered hub genes. Further, BPTF and MAPK۱ were demonstrated to be the highest TFs and protein kinases likely involved in the pathogenesis of TD, respectively. Conclusion: PTPRC, ITGB۲, TYROBP, MMP۹, CXCL۸, CD۴۴, CCL۲, C۱QB, C۳, SPP۱, BPTF, and MAPK۱ may be regarded as potential markers for the therapeutic purposes of TD.