• Identification of gene expression profile of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus infection in children: A Network-based attitude
  • Forough Tavakoli,1,* Talat Mokhtari-Azad,2 Morteza Hadizade,3 Vahid Salimi,4
    1. Virology Department, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran
    2. Virology Department, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran
    3. Physiology Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
    4. Virology Department, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran


  • Introduction: Respiratory Syncytial Virus is a common reason of acute lower respiratory infection in young children. The transition of clinical course from mild to severe infection is unpredictable. To gain insight into the immune pathways of the pathogenesis, we analyzed microarray transcription profiles of Respiratory Syncytial Virus infection.
  • Methods: We investigated tree microarray profile datasets (GSE117827, GSE41374 and GSE97743) to analyze the potential differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in nasal epithelium of children under two years old with Respiratory Syncytial Virus infection in two RSV positive-RSV discharge and RSV positive- healthy groups. KEGG pathways and Gene Ontology Enrichment and Functional Analysis was conducted using Enrichr and DAVID bioinformatics tool and GSEA software. Co-expression network and hub genes was identified by hmsic R package, MCODE and CytoHuba plugin of Cytoscape. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of DEGs was constructed by STRING and visualized by Cytoscape software.
  • Results: A total of 145 DEGs was identified in RSV- healthy group, including 93 upregulated and 52 downregulated genes. A total of 125 DEGs was identified in RSV- RSV discharge group, including 104 upregulated and 21downregulated genes. Gene functional enrichment analysis of DEGs from both RSV- healthy and RSV- RSV discharge indicated that upregulated genes were enriched in the immune responses and downregulated genes were enriched in the pathways related to metabolism including Valine_Leucine_AND_Isoleucine_Degradation, Butanoate and Pyruvate Metabolism and pathways related to cilium assembly, cilium organization and cilium movement.
  • Conclusion: The integrated bioinformatic analysis revealed RSV infection strongly induces innate and adaptive immune responses and decreases the Ciliary function of respiratory tract. The hub differentially expressed genes may be potential biomarkers for RSV infection in children under two years old. Moreover, it can improve our insight into pathogenesis mechanisms and disease intervention of RSV infection.
  • Keywords: Respiratory Syncytial Virus , gene expression profile, pathway, microarray,transcription