Bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation of ferroptosis in peri-implantitis
Objective To investigate the key genes associated with ferroptosis in peri-implantitis and explore the potential mecha-nisms regulating peri-implantitis.Methods Several datasets were obtained from the GEO database.Differential expressed genes were screened,and GO and KEGG analyses were performed.A PPI network was constructed using the STRING website.Key genes were val-idated using a test set,and the diagnostic value of key genes was determined.The content and proportion of 22 immune cells in peri-im-plantitis tissues were obtained through immune infiltration analysis.Key genes were validated by qRT-PCR and Western Blot(WB).Results There were 1 138 differential genes between peri-implantitis tissues and normal gingival tissues,of which 29 were related to ferroptosis.The gene expression in peri-implantitis tissues mainly involved processes such as immune response activation.Five key genes in the ferroptosis-related differential genes,namely SOX2,GJA1,IL1B,GPX2 and CHAC1,were differentially expressed in peri-implantitis tissues and had high diagnostic value.Immune infiltration analysis showed significant changes in immune cells such as memory B cells and plasma cells in peri-implantitis tissues.qRT-PCR and WB confirmed significant differential expression of mRNA and the protein transcribed by key genes.Conclusion Differential genes between peri-implantitis and ferroptosis are screened using bioinformatics analysis and biological validation,providing new insights into the study on peri-implantitis.