Identification of Cholesterol Homeostasis Related Genes and Potential Pathogenesis Mechanisms in Ulcerative Colitis

PMID: 40645380
Source: J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol
Publication date: 2025-07-24
Year: 2025

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Cholesterol metabolism (CM) plays essential roles in human disease. Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease associated with significant morbidity and healthcare burden. However, the role of CM in UC remains unclear. METHODS: Gene expression data of UC patients and control samples were retrieved and merged from GSE75214, GSE92415, GSE16879, and GSE48958. Differential analysis was performed for the identification of cholesterol homeostasis-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs), followed by machine learning for cholesterol homeostasis-related hub DEGs. Five cholesterol homeostasis related genes were identified. We further assessed the related pathways of 5 hub genes. RESULTS: Five overlapped cholesterol homeostasis related genes were identified by DEGs analysis. LIPC, LIPG, CETP, ABCB11, and APOH were identified as hub genes. CONCLUSIONS: The current study identified 5 cholesterol homeostasis related genes, LIPC, LIPG, CETP, ABCB11, and APOH, that might play key roles in the development of UC. These findings offer new insights for further exploring UC and its underlying mechanisms.