Bioinformatics Identification and Experimental Verification of Disulfidptosis-Related Genes in the Progression of Osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disabling and highly prevalent condition affecting millions worldwide. Recently discovered, disulfidptosis represents a novel form of cell death induced by the excessive accumulation of cystine. Despite its significance, a systematic exploration of disulfidptosis-related genes (DRGs) in OA is lacking.

METHODS

This study utilized three OA-related datasets and DRGs. Differentially expressed (DE)-DRGs were derived by intersecting the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from GSE114007 with DRGs. Feature genes underwent screening through three machine learning algorithms. High diagnostic value genes were identified using the receiver operating characteristic curve. Hub genes were confirmed through expression validation. These hub genes were then employed to construct a nomogram and conduct enrichment, immune, and correlation analyses. An additional validation of hub genes was performed through in vitro cell experiments.

RESULTS

and were designated as hub genes, displaying excellent diagnostic performance. exhibited low expression in early chondrocyte differentiation, rising significantly in the late stage, while showed high overall expression, declining in the late differentiation stage. Cellular experiments corroborated the correlation of and with chondrocyte inflammation.

CONCLUSIONS

Two hub genes, and , were identified in relation to disulfidptosis, providing potential directions for diagnosing and treating OA.