Identification and integrated analysis of differentially expressed long non‐coding RNAs associated with periodontitis in humans

Background and objective Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can act as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) to compete for micro-RNAs (miRNAs) in regulation of downstream genes, various biological functions and diseases. Yet, the expression and regulation of lncRNAs in periodontitis are not fully understood. The objective of the study was to identify potential genes (lncRNA, messenger RNA [mRNA] and miRNA) involved in periodontitis, construct lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA networks, explore gene functions and validate gene expressions. Material and methods The data sets for the lncRNA, mRNA and miRNA expression profiles in gingival samples from periodontally healthy subjects and chronic periodontitis patients were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus. The differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs), mRNAs (DEmRNAs) and miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) were identified, and ceRNA networks were then constructed. The expression of DElncRNAs and DEmRNAs was examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Moreover, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses were performed for exploring the potential functions and biological pathways. Results The GSE80715 and GSE54710 data sets were retrieved. Subsequently, 26 DElncRNAs, 436 DEmRNAs and 12 DEmiRNAs were identified (|fold change| ≥2, adjusted p Conclusion Non-coding RNAs are critically involved in the regulatory mechanisms in the pathogenesis of periodontitis. Further study is warranted to investigate the specific underlying genetic traits and networks.