Key genes associated with Alzheimer's disease and periodontitis

Abstract Background: With increasing research on Alzheimer's disease and periodontitis, many studies suggest a close correlation between Alzheimer's disease and periodontitis, but the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study was to identify potential pivotal genes and pathways associated with both diseases by using a bioinformatics approach. Materials/Methods: The GEO dataset GSE5281 for Alzheimer's disease patients and normal controls was downloaded from the GEO database. The GSE10334 dataset for periodontitis patients and healthy controls was also obtained. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for the Alzheimer's disease and periodontitis datasets were obtained, as well as genes common between them. Further GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were performed on the common genes. To determine the pathogenesis associated with Alzheimer's disease and periodontitis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed. Finally, the diagnostic value of HUB genes in the Alzheimer's disease and periodontitis datasets was analyzed separately using SPSS software. Results: A total of 16 common genes were obtained for Alzheimer's disease and periodontitis with a P value <0.05. 7 GO entries and 2 KEGG pathways were obtained. In addition, the first 6 central genes (CD4, KDR, CXCR4, CXCL12, JAK2 and PTPN11) were selected with a P<0.05. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that some novel genes play an important role in the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease and periodontitis. More experimental studies and clinical trials are needed to validate our results.