Pathway analysis and gene connection network of AERD
Results from canonical pathway analysis using all 1,736 DEGs are shown in Figure S1. As our study subjects were asthmatics, asthma-related terms were selected by the IPA knowledge base, DEGs were used to identify gene-to-gene connections in asthma-related networks. Among 78 asthma-related DEGs which are listed in Table S5, 37 were found to be connected in the network (Figure 4A). Information about 37 DEGs is provided in Table S6. Based on this gene connection network, canonical pathways, which are significantly different between patients with AERD and those with ATA, were discovered by using the IPA. The top 20 enriched canonical pathways are presented in Table S7. Of particular interest in T helper cells and mast cells, signaling pathways of T helper cell differentiation/activation and Fcε receptor I were generated (Figure 4, B and C). Up-regulation of the retinoic acid receptor–related orphan receptor γt (RORγt ) and down-regulation of MHCII, TNFR , and TGF-β as well as up-regulation ofFCER1A and JAK and down-regulation of VAV, cPLA2were noted in T helper cell differentiation/activation as well as the Fcε receptor I signaling pathway, respectively.