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Investigating the Role of Escherichia coli Infection in the Pathogenesis of Bladder Cancer: A Comparative Genomics Interaction

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article(s)

Authors

1 Department of Microbiology, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran

2 Clinical Care and Health Promotion Research Center, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran

3 Chemical Injuries Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisonings Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

10.30476/mejc.2025.103953.2160

Abstract

Background: Bladder cancer (BC) is the 10th most common cancer worldwide. Microorganisms, including bacteria, may contribute to urological tumor development. Escherichia coli, responsible for 70% of urinary tract infections, has been linked to BC progression. This study investigated the potential role of Escherichia coli in BC pathogenesis using a bioinformatics approach.
Method: This computational study used human gene expression and host-pathogen protein interaction data related to BC. Gene expression data were sourced from The Cancer Genome Atlas, while host-pathogen interactions were obtained from Host-Pathogen Interaction Database. Differentially expressed genes/proteins were identified, filtered based on interactions, and analyzed for their significance in BC. Differentially expressed genes/proteins were extracted using EdgeR. EdgeR primarily uses the negative binomial distribution to model count data, which is common in RNA-Seq experiments. A protein-protein interaction network was constructed to identify hub genes/proteins, and pathway enrichment analysis assessed the relevance of these genes/proteins in BC.
Results: We identified 118 interactions between differentially expressed genes/proteins of the human host and E. coli proteins in BC. Network analysis highlighted E. coli genes O52302 and Q8XAJ5 as having the most interactions with human genes. Additionally, FADD, RIPK1, TRADD, LRRK2, and CDC42 were significant in the interaction network. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated involvement in pathways such as TNF Signaling and Extrinsic Apoptotic Signaling.
Conclusion: This study identifies key hub genes and pathways in BC potentially influenced by E. coli, highlighting the need for in vitro and in vivo validation of these findings through comparative genomics interactions.

Highlights

Maryam Rahimi (PubMed)

Keywords

Main Subjects

This article has been accepted for publication and undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination, and proofreading process, which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as doi: 10.30476/mejc.2025.103953.2160

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Middle East Journal of Cancer

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 15 February 2025
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