Exploring the role of ATF3 and ferroptosis-related RNA expression in osteoarthritis: An RNA analysis approach to immune infiltration.

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a widespread joint disorder that is primarily noted for the progressive degeneration of joint cartilage, accompanied by a significant inflammatory response. Recently, there has been a growing interest in understanding the roles of ATF3 and ferritin-related RNAs in the context of immune responses and inflammatory processes. However, their specific functions and mechanisms in the progression of osteoarthritis have remained largely ambiguous and underexplored. The primary objective of this study was to thoroughly investigate the changes in expression levels of ATF3 and ferritin-related RNAs within osteoarthritic tissues, as well as to examine their potential effects on immune cell infiltration. To achieve this, advanced RNA sequencing technology was employed to meticulously analyze the expression levels of ATF3 and the ferritin-related RNAs. Furthermore, bioinformatics methods were utilized to assess the infiltration patterns of various immune cells and to explore the correlation between these infiltration patterns and the expression levels of RNA. The findings from this study revealed that both ATF3 and ferritin-related RNAs exhibited significantly elevated expression levels in tissues affected by osteoarthritis. Additionally, the immunoinfiltration analysis highlighted a positive correlation between the degree of infiltration of T cells and macrophages and the levels of ferritin-related RNAs. Such findings suggest that the presence of these immune cells is intricately linked to the expression of ferritin-associated RNAs. Further investigations indicated that ferritin-associated RNAs play a critical role in the progression of osteoarthritis by modulating inflammatory responses and influencing the activity of various immune cells. Consequently, both ATF3 and ferritin-related RNAs demonstrate abnormal expression patterns in osteoarthritis, which are closely associated with the infiltration of immune cells.