Identification of aging-related genes in Helicobacter pylori infection

Background Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is common worldwide, leading to many systemic diseases. The reasons for aging have been explored, but there is no unified conclusion. The aim of this study was to explore aging-related genes involved in HP infection. Results A total of 70 aging-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between HP infection and control groups, including 64 upregulated genes and 6 downregulated genes. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that multiple signaling pathways are closely linked to HP infection. In addition, the cytoHubba plugin identified 10 important hub genes, namely, ITGB2, PTPRC, HCLS1, LAPTM5, CD53, LYN, HLA-DRA, HLA-DPA1, HLA-DQB1, and CXCL8. Additionally, the correlation analysis of immune cell fractions revealed that immune infiltration plays an important role in HP infection. The nomogram containing CD53, ITGB2, and CXCL8 confirmed the favorable prediction ability of HP infection. Conclusion Ten aging-related hub genes involved in HP infection were identified. This study revealed an association between aging and HP infection, and they may have a causal relationship. Methods Microarray data for HP infection were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Aging-related genes were obtained from the Molecular Signature Database (https://www.gsea-msigdb.org). Differential gene expression analysis was analysed using R software and the limma package to find DEGs. In addition, functional enrichment analysis of DEGs by using GO and KEGG and construction of protein‒protein interactions (PPIs) and hub genes were determined by using the STRING database and Cytoscape software. Additionally, immune infiltration and difference analysis between HP infection and control groups were performed with R software. A nomogram was constructed to predict the risk of infection with HP by using some hub genes that were strongly correlated with neutrophils.