Unveiling ELAVL1 as a key RNA-binding protein regulating the chemokine signaling pathway in diabetic nephropathy

The chemokine signaling pathway is a key factor in inflammation and the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN). The involvement of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) in modulating this pathway is not yet fully clarified. This study aimed to examine the regulatory role of RBPs in the chemokine signaling pathway associated with DN. Using transcriptional data from the GSE142153 dataset, DEGs were identified. By intersecting DN-associated DEGs with chemokine pathway genes from the MSigDB database, 30 common genes were identified. Four hub genes were then selected through PPI network analysis. Target RBPs of these hub genes were predicted using the RNAInter database, with ELAVL1 identified as a shared regulatory RBP. The expression of ELAVL1 was further validated in the GSE142025 dataset. ELAVL1 gene expression was measured in 90 PBMC samples from three groups: T2D patients, DN patients, and healthy controls, with 30 individuals in each group. Real-time PCR results demonstrated a significant upregulation of ELAVL1 in DN patients versus T2D and control groups. This study highlights the critical role of ELAVL1 in promoting inflammation through the chemokine signaling pathway and contributing to renal injury. Thus, ELAVL1 could be considered a valuable biomarker for identifying and tracking the development of DN.