RNA sequence analysis identified bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) as a biomarker underlying form deprivation myopia.

Purpose: Form deprivation myopia (FDM) is an urgent public issue characterized by pathological changes, but the underlying mechanism remained unclear. The aim was to investigate bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) utilizing the pathogenesis of FDM. Material and methods: Gene expression omnibus (GEO) database was used to analyze one mRNA profile (GSE89325) of FDM. Sixteen retina samples (8 FDM and 8 controls) were randomly divided into seven groups for differential gene expression analysis in R. software. The gene pathway and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis were performed by the DAVID and STRING databases. Cytoscape was used to draw the PPI network. The gene ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were determined to achieve gene annotation and visualization. Results: A total of 18420 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified associated with FDM. The only non-significant gene (BEND6) was separately analyzed between two groups. Thirteen hub genes were discovered, ACVR1, ACVR2A, ACVR2B, RGMB, BMPR2, BMPR1A, BMP2, BMPR1B, CHRD, PTH, PTH1R, PTHLH, and WNT9A. The expression alteration in FDM were mainly enriched in cytokine-cytokine, and neuroactive ligand receptor interaction pathways. BMP2 was the key gene in myopia progression. Conclusions: Of clinical perspective, our findings reveal that expression of BMP2 as an underlying mechanism of FDM, providing an insight for therapeutic interventions.