Identification of key fatty acid metabolism genes and lncRNAs in Tibial cortex transverse traction therapy for diabetic foot Ulcers

To explore the potential molecular mechanisms of tibial cortex transverse traction (TTT) in diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) healing by identifying key fatty acid metabolism genes and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Gene expression differences in foot tissues from DFU patients were analyzed using preoperative and postoperative data from the GSE271701 dataset in the GEO database. Differentially expressed mRNAs (DE-mRNAs) and lncRNAs (DE-lncRNAs) were identified. A competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network integrating fatty acid metabolism genes and key lncRNAs was conducted, and core genes were selected via Metascape enrichment, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and Lasso regression. Differential analysis revealed 5481 DE-mRNAs and 8031 DE-lncRNAs. The ceRNA network identified seven key lncRNAs (LINC01043, FAM230B, LINC01070, FAM95B1, LINC00173, HOXC-AS1, and LRRC75A-AS1). Enrichment analysis by Metascape highlighted fatty acid metabolism pathways. PPI network analysis identified 23 key fatty acid metabolism genes. Lasso regression further selected four core genes (HIBCH, DLST, YWHAH, DECR1), with HIBCH, DLST, and DECR1 as central to TTT-mediated DFU healing. This study identifies seven key lncRNAs and three core fatty acid metabolism genes, providing new insights into the biological mechanisms of TTT therapy in the treatment of DFU. These findings offer potential molecular biomarkers and therapeutic targets for clinical application and targeted therapy.