Identification of Immune Hub Genes in Obese Postmenopausal Women Using Microarray and Single-Cell RNA Seq Data.

Obesity is characterized by a chronic state of low-grade inflammation. Investigating immune-critical genes and their biological functions in the adipose tissue of postmenopausal obese women is crucial for elucidating the underlying mechanisms of immune dysregulation associated with obesity. In this study, microarray (GSE151839) and single-cell RNA-seq (GSE176171) datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). For microarray data analysis, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), protein-protein interaction network (PPI) analysis, and immune infiltration analysis (ssGSEA) were employed to identify obesity-related immune-critical genes. Subsequently, the candidate genes were validated using scRNA-seq data to explore their expression patterns at the single-cell level. Finally, the expression levels of these immune-critical genes were experimentally verified in adipose tissue from obese and control zebrafish models using RT-qPCR. Analysis of microarray data through WGCNA, PPI and ssGSEA identified 16 obesity-related immune-critical genes, including , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and . Differential expression of , and was confirmed in scRNA-seq data, with and showing distinct expression patterns in natural killer (NK) cells. Furthermore, RT-qPCR analysis revealed upregulation of and in adipose tissue of obese zebrafish compared to lean controls. This study identifies , and as key immune hub genes in the adipose tissue of postmenopausal obese women, with NK cells playing a significant role in adipose tissue inflammation through the expression of these genes. These findings provide novel insights into potential therapeutic targets for the prevention and treatment of obesity in postmenopausal women.