Fig. 7

Pathway analysis and differential signature of asthma. a Network analysis of pathways associated with asthma. Analysis was performed using STRING, which is a biological database and web resource of known and predicted protein–protein interactions. All nodes in this network are colored nodes representing query proteins and first shell of interactors. The colors of the nodes represent clusters determined by K-means clustering. Edges represent protein-protein functional associations. String representation summarized the documented interactions between transcription factor and cytokines. An annotation score ≥ 0.5 indicates a high confidence interaction. b Differential signature of acute and stable asthma at baseline was represented by volcano plot. Data relative to clinical parameters, peripheral cytokines, phenotypes, and functions of helper T cells were integrated on this representation. The x-axis and y-axis show log₂ (fold change) of the values for the acute asthma group versus the stable asthma group and the corresponding –log₁₀ (p value) respectively. Dots in blue indicate higher value in the stable asthma group and in red indicate higher value in the acute asthma group. Labels were attached to significant parameters falling above the line of –log₁₀ (0.05). Labels in red, yellow, green, blue, and purple are for chemokine receptors, peripheral cytokines, cytokines secreted by cell subsets, clinical parameters, and phenotyping respectively. c Asthma subtypes identified by cluster analysis using all parameters of immune phenotyping, cytokines, and clinical data. Data were standardized before analysis. Clusters were plotted in the first principal components by principal component analysis (PCA). Each dot represents one asthma patient. Dots in blue are those in cluster 1 and in red are those in cluster 2. PC principal component. d Heat map of cluster centers of each standardized parameter in cluster analysis. Blue indicates relatively low values and red indicates relatively high values. MFI mean fluorescence intensity, TE  terminal effector, CM  central memory, ICS inhaled corticosteroids (3 = medium to high dose ( ≥ 250 μg/day), 2 low dose ( < 250 μg/day), 1 = no use), ACQ asthma control questionnaire, FEV1 Pred forced expiratory volume in 1 second predicted, FVC Pred forced vital capacity predicted