Exploring the Expression Changes of Immune Genes in Alzheimer's Disease: A Study on ANXA1, VCAM1, and CCL2.

INTRODUCTION: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurological disorder associated with high prevalence. Numerous studies have been conducted to regulate the expression of inflammatory genes, indicating that any changes may ultimately lead the nervous system toward disease pathogenesis. ANXA1, VCAM1, and CCL2 are among the genes involved in immune and inflammatory pathways. In this study, we aim to examine their expression in individuals with Alzheimer's disease and healthy individuals using bioinformatics and laboratory methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study aimed to analyze the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the entorhinal cortex with AD and identify featured genes related to AD. Gene expression profile GSE118553 was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus, including 37 AD and 24 control samples. Based on the filters applied to the data, the immune genes ANXA1, VCAM1, and CCL2 were selected to investigate changes in expression in Alzheimer's disease. The expression of ANXA1, VCAM1, and CCL2 genes in the peripheral blood of 50 AD patients and 50 healthy controls was examined using Real-time polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR). Subsequently, statistical analyses of expression differences and biomarker analysis were conducted on the resulting data. FINDINGS: In the peripheral blood of AD patients, ANXA1 expression increased, while VCAM1 expression decreased compared to controls. No significant change was observed in CCL2. the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that ANXA1 is effective in distinguishing AD from healthy individuals. CONCLUSION: This study provides new insights into the role of the ANXA1 gene in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, but further research is needed to confirm this role.