Identification of m7G RNA Methylation Regulators in Osteoarthritis and its Prognostic Markers

Author(s): Zhenhui Huo, Kuo Hao, Xingkai Wang, Chongyi Fan, Yingzhen Niu and Fei Wang

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a multifactorial disease that places an increasing burden on modern society. Synovial inflammation plays an important role in osteoarthritis. 7-methylguanosine (m7G) is one of the most common forms of base modification in post-transcriptional regulation. However, the function of m7G RNA methylation regulators in synovial tissue remains unclear, and the expression and predictive value of m7G RNA methylation regulators are rarely reported. So new studies are needed to fill this gap. Methods: Firstly, 40 m7G RNA methylation-related genes were selected from the four pathways and compared with the GSE55457 dataset to obtain gene expression profiles and clinical information. And 25 related genes were obtained. Six differential genes were also selected after the differential analysis of the 25 m7G RNA methylation-related regulators in OA and normal patients. Finally, the areas under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of m7G related genes in distinguishing OA patients from healthy population. Results: We found these genes are mainly involved in RNA metabolism, RNA cap binding, and the formation of RNA cap-binding complexes and the regulation of RNA cap formation had a strong impact on gene regulation. Then we identified 6 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), confirming for the first time that SNUPN and NUDT11 were associated with early diagnosis and prediction of OA. Conclusions: The regulators of m7G RNA methylation play a crucial role in the advancement of OA and hold promise in terms of prognosis. However, the clinical effects of these biomarkers on OA need further study.