Bioinformatics Approach is Unraveling Potential Crosstalk between Cytomegalovirus and Epilepsy

Abstract

Nabras Al Mahrami and Salim Al Rashdi

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a double-stranded DNA virus that is known to be associated with congenital disorders. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that occurs due to the inception of neurotransmitters. It is suggested that cytomegalovirus can affect epilepsy since it can reach the brain. This study aimed to investigate the molecular crosstalk between epilepsy and Cytomegalovirus infection using a bioinformatics approach.

Methods: We used gene expression datasets related to each condition retrieved from a public database. Differentially expressed gene analysis was performed for each dataset group separately. The common genes that were significantly expressed under both conditions were subjected to protein-to-protein network analysis and gene enrichment analysis.

Results: A total of 192 common genes were identified across the two conditions. The three genes CCL2, CD44, and CCL3 were defined as hub genes in protein-to-protein interaction networks with the highest centrality.

Discussion: This finding suggested the essential roles of these molecules in biological systems. Additionally, these genes are involved in inflammatory processing and the immune response.

Conclusion: We suggest that inflammatory chemokine molecules may participate in molecular crosstalk between CMV and epilepsy. Therefore, additional investigations are required to demonstrate the role of each suggested molecule in this association.

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