Identification and validation of genes associated with aging-related cardiovascular disease

Abstract

Aging is acknowledged as the most significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study sought to identify and validate potential aging-related genes associated with CVD by using bioinformatics. The confluence of the limma test, weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA), and 2129 aging and senescence-associated genes led to the identification of aging-related differential expression genes (ARDEGs). By using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), potential biological roles and pathways of ARDEGs were identified. To find the significantly different functions between CVD and non-cardiovascular disease (nCVD) and to reckon the processes score, enrichment analysis of all genes was carried out using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and gene set variation analysis (GSVA). By using GO and KEGG, potential biological roles and pathways of ARDEGs were identified. To evaluate the immune cell composition of the immune microenvironment, we performed an immune infiltration analysis on the dataset from the training group. We were able to acquire four ARDEGs (PTGS2, MMP9, HBEGF, and FN1). Aging, cellular senescence, and nitric oxide signal transduction were selected for biological function analysis. The diagnostic value of the four ARDEGs in distinguishing CVD from nCVD samples was deemed to be favorable. This research identified four ARDEGs that are associated with CVD. This study provides insight into prospective novel biomarkers for aging-related CVD diagnosis and progression monitoring.