Differential expression of leukocyte β2 integrin signal transduction‑associated genes in patients with symptomatic pulmonary embolism.

Whole human genome oligo microarrays were employed to systematically investigate the differential expression characteristics of associated mRNAs, which were found in the signal transduction pathway of β2 integrins in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) between patients with symptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE) and controls. A total of 20 cases of PE patients and twenty gender‑ and age‑matched controls were recruited for the study. Human cDNA microarray analysis was used to detect the differences in mRNA expression between the two groups and a random variance model corrected t‑test was used to analyze the statistical data. A total of 80 associated mRNAs were detected. The mRNA expression of chemokines, ligands, inside‑out and outside‑in signaling pathway‑associated proteins were upregulated significantly in the PE group, compared with the controls. In five subunit‑associated mRNAs, the mRNA expression of ITGAL, ITGAM, ITGAX and ITGB2, which encode for the subunits of αL, αM, αX and β2, were upregulated in the PE group and the differences, with the exception of ITGB2, were statistically significant (P<0.05). The mRNA expression of ITGAD was downregulated; however, there was no significant difference (P>0.05). The expression of Fgr mRNA was significantly downregulated (P<0.01). Thus, in PE patients, bilateral signal transduction pathways of β2 integrins in neutrophils and monocytes were activated, enhancing innate immunity.