The genetic association between major depressive disorder and coronary heart disease

Major depressive disorder (MDD) and coronary heart disease (CHD) can both cause significant morbidity and mortality. The association of MDD and CHD has long been identified, but the mechanisms still require further investigation. Seven mRNA microarray datasets containing samples from patients with MDD and CHD were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus. Combined matrixes of MDD and CAD were constructed for subsequent analysis. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Functional enrichment analyses based on shared DEGs were conducted to identify pivotal pathways. A protein-protein network was also applied to further investigate the functional interaction. Results showed that 24 overlapping genes were identified. Enrichment analysis indicated that the shared genes are mainly associated with immune function and ribosome biogenesis. The functional interactions of shared genes were also demonstrated by PPI network analysis. In addition, three hub genes including MMP9, S100A8, and RETN were identified. Our results indicate that MDD and CHD have a genetic association. Genes relevant to immune function, especially IL-17 signalling pathway may be involved in the pathogenesis of MDD and CHD.