Correlation Network Analysis Reveals Relationships between MicroRNAs, Transcription Factor T-bet, and Deregulated Cytokine/Chemokine-Receptor Network in Pulmonary Sarcoidosis

Figure 4

miRNA-mRNA-T-bet correlations in BAL cells obtained from (a) sarcoidosis patients and their subgroups with (b) progressing and (c) regressing disease are represented using Chord diagrams (circular graphs). In the Chord diagram, the intensity of the band corresponds to the significance of the correlation between particular miRNA-mRNA pair and T-bet-mRNA pair as assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation; only significant correlations () are visualized. (d) A hierarchical agglomerative clustering analysis presented using heat map for sarcoidosis as a whole. The colour of each cell of the heat map corresponds to value of Spearman correlation coefficient between given miRNA-mRNA pairs. % ly: % of lymphocytes in BAL fluid; abs ly: absolute number of lymphocytes/1 mL BAL fluid.

(a) Sarcoidosis

(b) Progressing sarcoidosis

(c) Regressing sarcoidosis

(d)