Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40909264›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology2025

Identification of cuproptosis-related genes in chronic apical periodontitis based on bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing analyses and experimental validation.

Caiyi Zhang, Jie Zhao, Keqing Pan, Lingshuang Liu, Mengyu Jiao, Changqing Yuan, Chunyan Wan

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in immunology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Caiyi ZhangDepartment of Stomatology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China, School of Stomatology, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Jie ZhaoDepartment of Stomatology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China, School of Stomatology, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Keqing PanDepartment of Stomatology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China, School of Stomatology, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Lingshuang LiuDepartment of Stomatology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China, School of Stomatology, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Mengyu JiaoDepartment of Stomatology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China, School of Stomatology, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Changqing YuanDepartment of Stomatology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China, School of Stomatology, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Chunyan WanDepartment of Stomatology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China, School of Stomatology, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Chronic apical periodontitis (CAP) is a prevalent oral inflammatory disease, yet the complex mechanisms underlying its etiology remain unclear. A recently identified cell death pathway known as cuproptosis may be linked to this condition. Methods: Differentially expressed cuproptosis-related genes (DE-CRGs) were identified by integrating human CAP dataset (GSE237398) with health control (HC) dataset (GSE223924) from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Subsequently, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from clinical samples with CAP (n=3) and HC (n=3) from the GSE171213 dataset were analyzed to assess variations across different cell clusters. The association of CRGs with macrophages and fibroblasts in periodontitis was then explored. Fibroblasts and macrophages were selected for further analysis, which included subset classification, cell-chat analysis, and functional enrichment analysis. Additionally, Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were employed to evaluate the discriminatory ability of gene features. Changes in DE-CRGs within the whole periodontitis tissue were confirmed through quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and immumohistochemical staining (IHC). Results: Eight CAP-related DE-CRGs were identified through bulk mRNA sequencing. Numerous interactions among these CRGs were observed, highlighting the complexity of protein-protein interactions. ROC curve analysis demonstrated strong diagnostic potential for these genes. ScRNA-seq sequencing revealed significant alterations in CRGs within fibroblasts and macrophages, along with close intercellular communication between these cell clusters. qRT-PCR and IHC analysis of clinical samples further confirmed DE-CRGs expression in CAP. Conclusion: These findings suggest that CRGs are closely associated with the COL4A1-Fibro and APOE-Macro intercellular interactions, which may facilitate the occurrence and progression of cuproptosis in chronic apical periodontitis.

Indexed as

Periapical PeriodontitisFemaleFibroblastsGene Expression ProfilingHumansMacrophagesMaleSequence Analysis, RNASingle-Cell Analysiscell-cell communicationchronic apical periodontitiscopper homeostasis imbalancecuproptosissingle-cell RNA sequencing

Identifiers

PMID40909264
PMCPMC12404934

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.