Insights into gender-specific differences in MASLD hepatic transcriptomes

• Main Author: Chan, Sook Teng
• Other Authors: Tan Nguan Soon
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2023
• Subjects: Science::Biological sciences
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/171920
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

MASLD has been researched to exhibit complex heterogeneity in its diagnosis and manifestation, and research gaps still exist in the study of gender disparities in hepatic gene expression patterns. This study employed transcriptomic-guided strategies and functional analysis of DEGs to investigate the underlying mechanisms contributing to gender differences in MASLD. Data from 16 datasets comprising 862 liver samples were analysed. This study developed a robust gender annotation model boasting over 95% accuracy in prediction of gender for unlabelled samples. Functional analysis of gender-specific DEGs revealed distinct biological processes between males and females. Gene-gene interaction analysis of gender-dependent MASLD DEGs revealed GABA signalling processes and epithelial cell functions being differentially upregulated in the two genders. Hub gene analysis identified UTY and VIL1 as potential key regulators in the gene interaction map for males and females respectively. These findings emphasize the significance of gender disparities in MASLD and highlight the potential protective or exacerbating effects of gender-specific gene expression on disease manifestations. Understanding these distinctions is vital to precision medicine and tailored interventions in MASLD.