Type I interferon related genes are common genes on the early stage after vaccination by meta-analysis of microarray data

The objective of this study was to find common immune mechanism across different kinds of vaccines. A meta-analysis of microarray datasets was performed using publicly available microarray Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and Array Express data sets of vaccination records. Seven studies (out of 35) were selected for this meta-analysis. A total of 447 chips (145 pre-vaccination and 302 post-vaccination) were included. Significance analysis of microarrays (SAM) program was used for screening differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Functional pathway enrichment for the DEGs was conducted in DAVID Gene Ontology (GO) database. Twenty DEGs were identified, of which 10 up-regulated genes involved immune response. Six of which were type I interferon (IFN) related genes, including LY6E, MX1, OAS3, IFI44L, IFI6 and IFITM3. Ten down-regulated genes mainly mediated negative regulation of cell proliferation and cell motion. Results of a subgroup analysis showed that although the kinds of genes varied widely between days 3...