Bioinformatics analysis identifies potential autophagy key genes and immune infiltration in preeclampsia

Abstract Background Preeclampsia (PE) is a disease that seriously threatens maternal and fetal health. Appropriate autophagy can shield the placenta from oxidative stress, but its role in PE is unclear. Objective To identify potential autophagy‐related genes in PE. Methods Microarray datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, compassing the test dataset GSE10588, along with validation datasets GSE4707 and GSE60438 GPL10558, were utilized. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using the limma R package, intersected with autophagy‐related genes. Hub genes were obtained using the Cytoscape software and analyzed via gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). The diagnostic capability of hub genes was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Analysis of immune cell infiltration was conducted using single‐sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and CIBERSORT methods. Placental tissues were collected from 10 normal pregnant women and 10 preeclamptic pregnant women, and the expression of hub genes was validated through immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. Results Analysis of the microarray data identified 2224 DEGs, among which 26 were autophagy‐related DEGs identified through intersection with autophagy genes. Ten hub genes were identified. Immune cell infiltration analysis suggested the potential involvement of T regulatory cells (Tregs), natural killer cells, neutrophils, and T follicular helper cells in the pathogenesis of PE. ROC curve analysis indicated promising diagnostic capabilities for EGFR and TP53. Additionally, levels of EGFR and TP53 were significantly higher in placental tissue from PE pregnancies compared to normal pregnancies. Conclusion EGFR and TP53 may play a role in PE by influencing autophagy.