Integrated Transcriptomic and Machine Learning Analyses Identify KCNN3 and TLR10 as Candidate Cell-Type-Associated Molecules in Idiopathic Membranous Nephropathy

Purpose

Idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN) is a common immune-mediated glomerular disease, but the key molecules driving its progression remain unclear. This study integrated bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), machine learning, and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to screen and preliminarily validate key molecules, providing a basis for subsequent research. Patients and methods: We analyzed our published urinary bulk RNA-seq data, as well as IMN kidney datasets obtained from the GEO database. Differentially expressed genes were identified and subjected to enrichment analysis. Three machine learning algorithms screened key genes. ScRNA-seq data were used to identify the cell types expressing the key genes and to perform CellChat analysis. Immunohistochemistry validated key gene expression, and immunofluorescence explored their cellular localization. External GEO datasets validated expression differences and diagnostic performance.